The Unseen Hunt
by Coeur Al'Aran
Summary: Jaune was only worried about two things in life; graduating from high school and dodging his hated bully. He didn't care about the supernatural, nor believe in it. But a chance encounter with a mysterious girl in red will open his eyes to a world that lives beside our own, a dangerous and deadly secret. But beware, child, for eyes once opened to the truth may never again be closed.
1. Chapter 1

**New fic is new fic. As per new rules, pairing - if any - will not be revealed. This fic will replace IKS and will update on a Sunday. This story is tagged as Adventure/Supernatural, but will obviously include other themes such as drama, angst, horror and more. The story is AU. Certain aspects of RWBY will remain the same while others will change.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1 – Awakening**

* * *

It was three-fifty-five on a Thursday and Jaune was drowning.

Bright light exploded before his eyes in mottled shades of white and grey, with little spots that danced between. There was a dull ringing in his ears, muted as if by a great volume of water that threatened to wash over and suffocate him. An ocean of it, all-encompassing, unending. Apart from the spots, he could see little, vision lost in an abyss that was murkier than it should have been. Deeper than it should have been. The world seemed to spiral down into a single point of infinite darkness below, which it felt like he was being drawn to. Darkness. So much darkness.

His lungs burned, and his eyes closed, mouth opening as a torrent of bubbles poured forth.

So, this was how he died. There was an echo in his head, fitting and yet strange. Echoing. A constant, lethargic dripping sound.

 _Drip-Drip_

And then he was out once more – and the roaring of the distant waves was replaced with laughter. Fingers intertwined with his golden locks as he gasped for breath.

"How's that for you? Clean yet?"

"I don't think he is, Cardin. Maybe he needs a shower."

"Shit, I think you're right."

The tell-tale zip caused Jaune's eyes to widen. He struggled against his captors, hands on either side of the bowl as he pushed back. It achieved nothing other than a foot pressing down on his spine, keeping him locked in place. A moment later he froze, eyes closed, as a warm sensation spread over the back of his scalp. Jaune grit his teeth and tried not to sob as something washed over him, splashing down into the water beneath him. He tried not to think what it was, even as Cardin zipped himself back up. Angry tears stung at his eyes. Anger at himself for being so weak and useless, anger at them for being so cruel. Anger at the world for not caring.

"Ah, that's better. There you go, Jauney. Don't say we never do anything for you."

The foot came higher, resting on the back of his head. It suddenly pushed down. His face was submerged into the water once more, this time sullied and smelling - _tasting_ \- of piss. A shadow reached over him and the sound of a chain being pulled echoed in his ears. Jaune's eyes closed before the water struck him. It swirled around and around, soaking his hair and face while yet more splashed back upwards.

When he pulled back up, the four boys had left, their laughter following them as the stall door clattered shut and the toilet one did a moment later.

Jaune turned and fell, splashing water on the floor as he slumped against the toilet seat, one leg out flat and the other brought up, an arm resting on his knee. His hair was soaked and dripping down onto his white shirt. Not that it mattered. The spray from the bowl had turned that near see-through as it was. At least the toilet bowl was clean. The water was sanitary, the additional stuff flushed on his hair pretty much straight from the tap. It wasn't so different to shower water itself, or so he tried to tell himself.

"Who am I kidding?"

His forehead fell onto his knee and he drew a deep, shuddering breath. The only solace was that his bag and books were dry, spared in a rare moment of mercy – and it had to be mercy, that or pity, since normally Cardin and his cronies would have opened it up and held it under a tap. How pathetic was he when even his bullies couldn't bring themselves to go the whole way?

For fuck's sake…

Exhaustion working its way into his bones, Jaune placed a hand on the toilet seat and used it to push himself up. He staggered to the sink, trailing water the whole way, and then pushed his head under the tap and turned it on. Cold, fresh water poured down on him, turning warm as the heaters kicked in. It wasn't much of an improvement, but it made him feel a little cleaner. Turning the tap off he stepped over to the dryer and tried to bend down underneath it. His footing failed him, and he stumbled, eventually giving up and sitting there, back to the wall as the hand-dryer blew hot air down onto his head.

Just another wonderful day at Eastfield High. And to think it was nearly four. He'd almost made it the full day without Cardin getting a hold of him. Just went to show he couldn't catch a break, even when he went out of his way for it.

An angry sob threatened to break free, but he swallowed it. Kids cried. He was seventeen, and really ought to be capable of looking after himself by now. Besides, a reaction like that was just what Cardin and his goon squad wanted. It was a small defiance, holding the pain in, but it let him feel like it was defiance nonetheless. He wouldn't let them win. Not like this.

And then the toilet door opened, revealing a tall woman with a clipboard, black hair and a worried expression. She saw him and let out a long, mournful sigh.

"Oh, Jaune…"

/-/

Despite the poor circumstances, Eastfield High was quite the reputable and well-scoring high school. It was one of the best in the state, and certainly one of the better schools in his area, though even then he had to live in a small apartment rented by his parents. It was worth it because the school had a great rate of sending its students onto the big universities such as Stanford, Harvard or Princeton. Because of that, the school was well-funded and had some of the best teachers around.

When Jaune first got the offer, he and his family had been thrilled. They at the thought of him landing such a prestigious spot, and he at having not only proven himself, but in moving away from his hellish middle school and the clutches of his long-time bully, Cardin Winchester. Life back home hadn't been kind, at least not in school, and many of his friends had been driven or forced away by Cardin, who seemed capable of getting away with just about anything. There were rumours his father was on the board with the school or something, and those rumours felt more and more founded every time his damaged books, vandalised locker and at times bruises were ignored. Eastfield was to be his escape. A salvation.

And then Cardin landed his own spot there, specifically in a scholarship for sports, the guy being built like a brick wall and being just about as intelligent. It had to be with his parents' help - Cardin's academics were never good enough - but however it was done, he was here and the nightmare had begun anew. Except worse because his sisters weren't here to stick up for him. Jaune hated it. It felt like he'd been cheated his chance to escape, to move on and create a new life for himself.

It pissed him off, but what could be done? Cardin was huge and came with his own clique of bastards, all of which enjoyed putting the wimpy little sciences student down in the ground where he belonged. The only language Cardin understood was one delivered on the end of a fist, and Jaune refused to let himself stoop to that level.

Or, well, it might also have had something to do with the fact Cardin would cream him if he tried. He wasn't a fighter.

With a sigh, Jaune pulled the white shirt on over his head, pushing his arms through the sleeves and stepping back out from behind the cupboard door. Miss Farleigh had her back to him, eyes on her desk as she often did.

"I'm done," he said, and she turned with a soft smile. "Thanks. For the spare..." He handed her his soaked shirt nervously, trying not to let the water soak the floor.

 _Drip-Drip_

Miss Rebecca Farleigh wasn't a teacher he had all that often. She taught arts, culture and literature, and his majors were in science and biology. Normally, they might never have crossed paths, but Miss Farleigh had the dubious honour of being one of the few teachers who knew about the bullying and cared enough to try and do something.

She was a young teacher somewhere between twenty and thirty, and almost every guy in Eastfield agreed she was _the_ teacher to lust over. Some called her a milf, but she wasn't old enough for that, Jaune felt. She had long, black hair that fell behind and to the middle of her back, with several wisps that curled before her smooth, almond shaped face. Not five and a half feet tall, she was the same height as many female students, but much more developed, with curves in all the right places and a generous bust that pushed against her tight, white shirt. Not to mention a slim waist that dipped down into a black skirt. She really was beautiful and could have easily made a career as a model, or maybe even an actress or porn star.

It was a vain hope by many. That, and that they could gain her attention with their overtures, posturing and clumsy flirting. For all the lustful gazes and thinly veiled offers she received, Miss Farleigh _never_ encouraged a student to be any more than that. She was always professional; something Jaune respected her for.

It was her face that had always drawn his attention, however, and not necessarily for the same reason it did everyone else's. Miss Farleigh had bright green eyes, a button nose and a kind smile that she wore for every student. Where most of the teachers had been working long enough to lose the spark, she still loved her job and students, and always did her best to help.

It was probably why he spent so much time in her office.

"Oh, Jaune, we need to stop meeting like this. People will talk." When her attempt to inject some humour into the situation failed, she placed his wet shirt down on her desk and stepped around it. Her hand touched his shoulder, fingers trailing across it for a moment until she reached up and plucked something out of his hair, some lint that had blown out of the hand-dryer. She flicked it away and moved back over to her seat. "Was it Mr Winchester and his friends again?"

"You know I can't answer that, Miss Farleigh."

"Rebecca," she corrected. "And I can't help you if you don't tell me who it is."

"It was no one. I fell."

Rebecca sighed at the obvious lie, as did he. They both knew he hadn't but by this point it was almost a ritual for him to deny it. She knew exactly who it was, and he knew that she knew.

"I can't do anything without proof and they're careful to never cause trouble where anyone will see them," he said. "The day's as good as over anyway. At least this won't cause any missed lesson time."

"No, you'll just walk home wet and possibly catch a cold," Rebecca said with a frown. It disappointed her that she couldn't do anything about the bullying, her word alone not being accepted and she not having any lessons with Cardin, either. That she cared enough to try was pretty much the only thing that kept him going nowadays. It was more than he got with any other teacher and a reminder that at least someone cared enough to try and do their job. Her presence was one of the few things he liked about Eastfield, other than his very limited list of friends.

"I won't belabour the point and go through all the things we already know," she said, "But I really would feel better if you'd find some way of ending this. And I know you've tried," she added, when he made to protest. "But it frustrates me to keep finding you like this. Can't your friends video some evidence, or can you not learn some self-defence?"

"Against four people bigger and stronger than me…? I could start carrying a knife, but I think that would just lead to more problems."

Rebecca sighed. "I suppose that's a little much to ask. I just worry about you, Jaune."

He smiled. It was weak, but it was there. "Thanks for doing that much."

"And that annoys me all the more," she said. "Why should you look so happy that someone who should care about you does? Every teacher here should balk at the idea of bullying in our halls."

Every teacher should, but few did. They both knew that. It was all the same as middle school, with the teachers focused on results and funding, already worked to the bone and unable to monitor each student, let alone deal with every problem that came up. Miss Goodwitch, the headmistress, would have Cardin and his lot suspended for sure if he could find evidence – she didn't take any nonsense – but it was finding said evidence that was difficult. Gone were the days when Cardin bruised him in obvious ways. It was subtler now and he always had someone play lookout.

"You know, I wasn't without my own problems when I was your age," she suddenly said. "Would it surprise you to know I, too, was bullied as a child?"

It did, but only for a moment. She was beautiful, and it wasn't just the weak, dumb or ugly that caught flak from those more popular than them. "I guess they were jealous of you," Jaune said.

"Jealous, of me?" Rebecca held a hand over her mouth but there was no hiding her smile. "You really are a charmer, Jaune, but no, they weren't jealous. I was actually quite the introvert when I was younger, and I didn't really take much care of myself." She twisted a finger in her raven hair, which looked as soft as silk. "I had frizzy hair, glasses and wore a baggy jumper with yesterday's curry stained on the front. No, they certainly weren't jealous of what I had."

It was hard to imagine that with her as she was now. Even when he tried to picture the glasses and the jumper, she still managed to make it look good. Maybe that was ageing for you, though. It had to be her personality, too, her very presence. She was just too confident, in an outgoing way that never quite bordered on arrogant. But she was familiar, too, like she was a close friend you could trust. That might have just been him, though, since he had probably spoken more with her in half a year than some sophomores had.

"I was involved with silly stories and had some rather geeky hobbies, too," she went on. "The kind that didn't leave me very popular with the other girls."

Despite his efforts to the contrary, Jaune couldn't quite hide his curiosity. "What kinds of hobbies?"

"Well, things like tabletop games for one, the more magic and fantasy the better. But more than any of that, I was obsessed with the occult. The paranormal and the supernatural."

"Ghosts and stuff? I didn't take you as being superstitious." He realised a second later how that might sound. "Not that there's anything wrong with that."

She laughed. "It's fine, Jaune. It's embarrassing to look back on, but I think I went into something of a Goth stage. Started to look out for vampires, werewolves and monsters – and even bought a book or two on witchcraft and tarot reading while I was at it. Once or twice my parents caught me trying to summon things in my bedroom, and my father even thought I was possessed once." The teacher coughed into her fist and her cheeks flushed a pretty pink. "I even told my mother to call me a witch. It was all quite silly. More teenage rebellion than anything, but I was the talk of our sleepy, little christian community and for all the wrong reasons!"

Jaune laughed. That was her plan obviously, getting him to laugh, but there was no denying it was working. "Can you still do tarot reading? I wouldn't mind hearing what's in store for my future."

"Oh, I was never any good at it! I suppose I just wanted to believe in those kinds of things, partly because I wanted to imagine I could have fairies and vampires as friends, but also because a darker part of me wanted to imagine having power over my bullies." Her smile fell, and she let out a heavy sigh. "I remember once wishing I could summon beasts to hurt them, or ghosts to scare them. I would make them pay for what they did to me. Or so I thought. I think I even tried a little ritual one time, hoping to summon up something that would let me get my revenge."

He remained silent, waiting for what had to be the point of the story. After all, there was no chance she was bringing this up, so there was almost certainly a big moral to it.

"But in the end, I was forced to accept that I could not," she said, sighing. "The bullying continued and there were times when I really did want to hurt them. I chose not to, however, and eventually I grew out, grew more confident, and I proved all of them wrong. I didn't give in to their demands, but neither did I try to pretend the bullying never happened. I improved myself and stole from them the chance to ever bully me like they had before."

"And that's what you think I should do?"

"I don't think it would hurt, Jaune. You're a clever boy and rather handsome." She said it with a smile that let him down before he'd even thought to get excited. More statement of fact than anything. "You're certainly not lacking in athleticism, academics or looks, which means Mr Winchester – sorry, _whomever is bullying you_ -" She rolled her eyes, "Is almost certainly doing so _because_ of the reaction he gets from you. Stand up to him," she said, "Or if you cannot do so now then learn how to. I know so many people will tell you that the bullying will stop if you ignore it, but from someone who has been there, I can tell you it will not. Ignoring your problems will never solve them, not at your age or mine."

"Yeah…" Jaune smiled weakly. So, she was basically saying the bullying wasn't going to end unless he did something. That wasn't as comforting a thought as he'd have liked. "Thanks for picking my spirits up."

"My job isn't to pick up your spirits. It's to do something to actually help you."

His cheeks heated up at her warm, beautiful smile and he looked away again. Yeah, it was, and he supposed she was the only person who would care to do so and not just tell him everything would be okay when it clearly wasn't going to be. His parents and sisters would have done the same had they known, but they didn't and the last thing he wanted was for them to panic or over-react. This was his problem and he'd deal with it. Sooner or later, anyway…

The end of day bell signalled there was no more time and Miss Farleigh stood, offering him his jacket back. He hadn't realised how close it was to the end of the day, but she clearly had, and no doubt kept him in her office so he wouldn't have to face the jeers of his classmates when he returned after such an obvious prank. She really was the best.

"Thanks, Miss- Rebecca," he said, wincing a little when she shot him a stern look at the near-mistake. "Thanks for everything. I'll see you tomorrow."

"I hope not, Jaune, or that will mean you've been bullied again. But I know what you mean." She smiled kindly at him. "Go and enjoy your evening."

/-/

Vale was a relatively small city, and somewhat new for the United States, built less than a hundred years ago somewhere between Boston and Pittsfield, Massachusetts. It was small by the standards of a major city like Boston, with only about seventy-five thousand people living in it, but that was still impressive given that it wasn't even a century in the making.

The city was predominantly middle-class with a focus on high-quality living, or so the brochures said. In truth, it was something of a mixed bag. That could apply to anywhere, though, and seeing as he'd lived in Boston before this, Jaune definitely knew about that. Still, Vale tried and that was enough in his eyes. The roads were clean, the walls free from graffiti for the most part, and although there were some areas known for gang activity, they were small, isolated and regularly patrolled by the police.

Really, Eastfield High was the only reason he now lived in Vale. It had gained a reputation quickly, and although his parents weren't thrilled to have their little boy move out, they were relieved to learn he would only be sixty or seventy miles away. As Dad put it, it would be a good experience for him to learn how to live alone, while also being close enough to call for help if he needed any. They could be over in an hour if anything went wrong.

Luckily, he'd not needed that yet, and bar the first few visits to see how he was settling in, he hadn't been a burden on them. The last thing he wanted after his parents sprung to pay for him to have an apartment _and_ allowance was for him to demand more. The Arc family wasn't rich by any means, in fact, given they had eight children, some might have called them downright poor, but that was an exaggeration. Dad's job in the military paid well and mom was a lawyer. It was just that spread between so many kids all wanting to go into college, the costs added up.

His apartment was a small thing on the third floor of a squat apartment block on the corner of Walker Street and Boston Way. Still being rather new, it was nice enough and the retired couple who ran it were alright – never questioning him on rent since his parents paid them directly and a good month in advance each time. They were a little too religious for his tastes, and pushy with some of the other tenants about it, but since he never made a fuss he mostly got to avoid that. He could see how it might be annoying for some, though.

Unlocking the door, Jaune pushed his way into the small apartment, breathing a sigh of relief at finally escaping the stresses of the day. His backpack was tossed off into the open cupboard that sat on the side of the entrance corridor, the small toilet and shower to the right. It wasn't big enough to have a front room and a kitchen, but he did have a kitchen and a bedroom – which had a TV on the wall at the end and a writing desk, functioning as both living space and sleeping area. A large, full-wall window at the back led out onto a small balcony he used to dry his clothes on. The building had a pair of washing machines down on the first floor that was free for the residents. The whole thing wasn't a bad deal, really.

His mobile on the desk was flickering on and off. He'd forgotten to charge it and left it behind as a result. Just his luck and now he had ten messages from his parents, terrified that he'd been abducted or worse. Sitting down, Jaune typed back a quick response.

 _I'm fine. Forgot mobile. Sorry! Luv u both. Ttyl._

Only a minute or two after sending it did he get a reply, a simple _Ok. Luv u. xxx_ from his mom. They really did worry too much, but then again they'd done the same for all the girls when they moved out. At least it wasn't as bad as when Sapphire moved in with her new boyfriend. Dad's reaction hadn't been the best on that front. That still brought laughter and nervous glances whenever someone brought it up.

Brewing up some coffee, Jaune brought out a mug and a carton of milk, pulling off his borrowed shirt as he did and hooking his schoolbag up with one foot. The shirt came off and fell onto a pile – for the wash later – and the kettle pinged, even as he pulled out his homework for the day and tossed it on his desk. Better to get on with it while he was in the mood. It was all routine by now, one that helped him concentrate but also kept his grades up.

Several cups and about a third of an essay later, Jaune stretched his aching muscles and checked his mobile. It was close to eight, already turning dark out thanks to the onset of fall and the shorter days. He hadn't even had a meal yet. _Not sure I can stomach cooking after Cardin's shower._ He eyed the microwave and the ready meal he'd laid atop it for tonight. It didn't look nearly as appetising as it had that morning.

"Takeout it is," he decided, standing. He wandered back over to the dresser and tugged out some jeans, a loose tee and jacket. His running shoes came next and he grabbed a waiting bottle of water from the fridge, taking a quick sip as he unlocked the door and let himself out. As he did, he bumped into a familiar figure. Literally. She grunted and took a step back, while he nearly fell over entirely, bouncing off the girl not even his own height with a nervous gasp.

Talk about bad luck. It was possibly the last person he wanted to run into. Well, other than Cardin.

"Oh, uh, hey Blake. How's it going?"

Jaune wished he could take it back. Blake was his neighbour, or one of them, anyway. Her apartment was to the right of his. She wasn't what could be called a friendly person. He'd never seen her without a hoodie on with the hood pulled up, which she wore now in a dark grey, and her face, pretty as it was, was cast in shadow. What always caught his attention was her eyes, which were the oddest shade of amber he'd ever seen, maybe even yellow. They were almost always set in a sharp line, too, her face a scowl, much like it was now. Shit.

"I'm sorry about bumping into you," he said hurriedly. "I was just on my way out for a jog and some food and I wasn't watching where I was going."

Blake sighed once, a sound not akin to someone expressing frustration at the rambling of a small and particularly annoying child. "It's fine," she grunted, brushing past him. Their shoulders touched but there was no warmth to it and she pushed by and towards her door, where she drew out a key from her sleeve and let herself in with a click. The door closed behind her, and then clicked again as she slid the latch in to lock it.

 _Great work, idiot,_ Jaune thought uncharitably. When he'd first moved in, he made it a point to knock on the doors of his neighbours and get to know them. Christopher, guy on his left, had been an alright sort, but he'd moved out a while back and the room was empty now. But Blake? Gods, he'd never been so intimidated by a girl in his life – and not in the way of one being pretty and taking his breath away. Blake genuinely put him on edge.

It wasn't that she looked scary so much as the way she acted, like she had a thousand better things to do than stand there and listen to him. She probably did, to be fair, and at least she was polite enough not to tell him to stuff it. She just stood there silently giving one or two-word answers until he caught the hint and excused himself. He didn't know anything about her more than that. She didn't look that much older than him, if at all, but she definitely didn't go to Eastfield, and he'd never seen her in a uniform, either from school or a job. Ultimately, it was none of his business, and whatever hers was, she wasn't about to tell him.

If he was being honest, he thought she looked a little dangerous - the type to be into things he really didn't want to be. He knew better than to make a note of it, and typically vacated his balcony whenever she stepped out for a smoke. Was she old enough to buy cigarettes? Another thing he wouldn't dare ask.

"Not like it's any of my business…" he mumbled, jogging down the steps and waving to some of the friendlier tenants en route. He paused to wave to Mrs Mars, the owner. She smiled and waved back, wandering over to ask what he was up to. "Just a little jog," he said. "Wanted to clear my head and stay in shape."

"Oh, to be young and have your energy once more," she tittered, placing a hand on his arm. "I don't suppose you could do me a little favour, could you? It's just a letter I need delivered. Will you be going past any post boxes?"

"I'm fairly sure I will," he said, doing some mental calculations. "Yeah, I can take it. Is it stamped?"

"All prepaid and ready to go," she said, digging in her handbag. "Thank you so much, Jaune, you're such a sweetie. Next time you bring a young lady over, I'll keep my Rupert distracted so he doesn't realise." She winked at him and his cheeks heated up. It wasn't like he'd _ever_ brought a girl over, but the offer still embarrassed him.

"T-Thanks, Mrs Mars. Have a good evening."

"You too, Jaune. Don't stay out too late."

"I won't, I won't. I've got school in the morning."

He let himself out of the front gate, waved one last time and jogged off, deeper into Vale.

/-/

Jogging was a liberating experience. A catharsis. He wasn't athletic by any means, but he was fit and could keep up a good pace. Most of that came from the habit he'd picked up of jogging late in the evenings to clear his head and, more often than not, forget about whatever crap he'd been through that day. At first it had been just about distracting himself, but after a few weeks of late-night jogging he'd come to generally enjoy it. The aches and pains he felt afterwards fulfilled him, making him feel like he was doing something worthwhile.

Of course, he knew it was all physiological reactions. Exercise increased endorphins and reduced stress, the term being called a runner's high by some in the profession. He knew it well enough since he was studying the sciences to try and become a doctor. Running also helped to stave off depression, and there were times when he wondered if it was the only reason he didn't feel worse than he already did. Well, that might have also had something to do with his friends and family, but even so, he loved that he could burn off the negative feelings of the day with a brisk jog. The fitness was just an added benefit.

Since the nights were coming earlier and getting cooler, it also meant he got to enjoy the sweet spot – that time between Summer and Winter where your sweat didn't either freeze to your body or leave you wishing you were dead thanks to how hot it was. Spring and autumn nights were the best, and Jaune felt his bad mood slip away almost immediately.

 _Miss Farleigh was right,_ he thought. _I'm not unfit and I could probably even get on the track team if I gave it a shot. Well, if Cardin would even give me the chance. I don't get why he hates me so much._

They'd never had much history in middle school, which was where they'd first met. It wasn't like the two of them had been friends or enemies going in, and Cardin just sort of started picking on him early there. He'd wondered once or twice if it wasn't Cardin getting rejected by one of his sisters, or if this was a twisted attempt to gain their attention, but that theory was dismissed when he moved to Vale, since Cardin continued, and his sisters were nowhere to be seen.

In the end he'd just been forced to accept that Cardin was a bastard. Not a very hard conclusion to come to, but still one that sucked a little, since it meant there probably wasn't any way to fix this.

"A shame I don't have any fairy vampires to help me, or tentacle monsters to send after him," Jaune chuckled, thinking back on what Miss Farleigh's tale. He laughed at the thought, shaking his head. Magic, rituals and the supernatural, huh. It took all sorts. He couldn't really call her out on it since she hadn't really said how young she was at the time, and it wasn't like he hadn't believed in the tooth fairy and Santa once upon a time.

His route ended at what most people called the Docks, but which absolutely wasn't on account of Vale being inland and not having a dock at all. The city was, however, based on the edge of the Quabbin Reservoir, which could sort of look like an ocean at night time. The real name for the area was the Water's Edge Boulevard, but since that was a mouthful, it got renamed the docks by the locals. It was where he liked to end his route, partly because of the view and fresh air, but also because it was one of the nicer areas of Vale.

Placing his hands on the railing, Jaune drew in several deep breaths and waited for his racing heart to slow down. His sweat turned cold on his brow, tingling in a pleasant manner and helping to cool him down. He pulled out a bottle of fresh water from his jacket and greedily drank at what remained, tossing the rest into a recycling bin nearby.

Not bad for a night's work, he considered. The jog itself was only a few klicks as his dad would put it, but he was only seventeen and not exactly a star athlete. It was more than enough to keep him fit, and to burn off the spicy burrito he was totally going to be having on the way home. He'd even found somewhere en route to drop off Mrs Mars' letter.

Rather than take the same route back, Jaune ducked through the park, passing a few other late-night joggers and even a cyclist or two, along with the usual couple, hand in hand, oblivious to the world around them. Vale's park was a well-kept and popular spot, though not quite as much on cold nights like this as it was in the summer or around Christmas. As Jaune went through it, he ducked off the path and down one of the lesser-travelled routes; one that he knew would bring him out back on the main walk and near some of the more popular takeaways.

Trees whistled past as he went, and branches were brushed out of the way or dodged. He hopped over a fallen log and landed in some soft leaves on the other side, moving again, eyes fixed on the worn path he and a couple of other joggers had cut through the park.

A black shape up ahead caught his attention. Jaune slowed to a walk, and eventually came to a halt. There was a backpack in the middle of the path, discarded.

"Huh…"

Lone backpacks weren't given the most respect in the US, but he doubted anyone would bomb a barely used path in a public park, let alone late at night when there was no one around. It looked a sports rucksack, the kind a runner or cyclist would wear. A quick look around showed he was alone. Leave it or take it. The latter sounded bad, but if it had some ID in or on it, he could pass it on to the police. It would be a hassle, but if he'd lost his bag, wouldn't he want someone to pick it up and hand it in?

"Ugh, my bleeding heart," he groaned and knelt. He touched it once and relaxed when it moved, quite light and empty by the feel of it. Not a bomb, then. Turning it over, he looked for an ID stapled to it but found nothing. He zipped it open and glanced inside. There was a wallet inside. "Here we go."

Ignoring the money – and any temptation for it – Jaune flicked through the card binder for an ID, driving license or anything else, and found one between a Starbucks loyalty card with four stamps on it and a credit card with a chipped corner. Pulling it out, he studied the face and the name, recognising neither.

Stanley Waters, Age… something or other. His date of birth was 1976, so that made him… somewhere between thirty and fifty? Sue him, he was tired and unwilling to do the math. It was enough to go on, and the police would probably be able to track down an address or number, so he pushed the ID back in, tucked it into the bag and zipped it up once more.

As he did, an odd shuffling noise echoed from the bushes to the left. It was sudden, but also constant, like someone moving through the undergrowth. Not towards him, though, it was a little too far for that. More like something moving back and forth.

 _A wild animal_? He bit his lip. _No, don't be stupid. This park is in the middle of the city. No wolves or bears are going to have found their way out here._ And if they had, he was sure the news would have been all over it. More likely, he'd come across Mr Waters, probably doing his name justice and taking a leak off the path – though why he'd chosen to leave his belongings behind, Jaune had no idea.

"Hello?" he called. "Mr Waters…? I found your bag. Are you okay?"

There was no answer, though the shuffling continued.

Jaune stepped further into the brush. "Mr Waters? Hello?"

A sudden smell struck him. It was thick and rank and caused him to choke a little. Wafting a hand before his face, Jaune pushed through some bushes with a hacking cough. He only stopped when he stepped in something wet. It hadn't rained for a day or two. He staggered back and brought his foot up, expecting to find dog shit.

Instead, he found his running shoes covered in blood.

"Oh, fuck!" Jaune fell back and gasped as his hand fell in something warm. Not dog foul, no matter how much he wished it might be. His hand was bloody, and there were bits of meat hanging between his fingers. "Arghh!" he cried, throwing it away.

A snort sounded ahead of him, the sounds pausing suddenly, as if they'd heard him.

Shit, shit, shit, what was he thinking wandering off the path alone? He turned and tried to crawl away – but froze and screamed again, this time at the top of his lungs, as he came face-to-face with another man's face. It was attached to a head, but that head was no longer attached to a body. The man's mouth was open, frozen in horror, but his eyes were half-closed and devoid of any light.

Oh fuck. Holy shit. He'd just found a dead body. Jaune's pulse raced.

The bushes behind him rustled angrily as something stomped through. It was dark out, even darker with the trees above, but he saw its red eyes as clear as day. They seemed to shine. It was black as the night, too. A dog of some kind. Big. No… Not a dog.

His head pounded. The pain ratchetted up to unbelievable levels.

 _Drip-Drip_

The sound. Again. It was like a tap left just on, the tiniest, quietest drop of water, and then a distant splash that echoed in his head. Was it blood? W-Was that a human _arm_ in the beast's mouth? "S-Stay back," Jaune yelled. "Back!" Against animals, it was best to appear loud and startle them. "Rargh!" he tried to roar. "Back! Back, beast!"

It didn't seem to be working. The creature's mouth opened, and the dog dropped the arm. Its teeth were jagged and sharp, and seemed to open further than it should have been possible. No, again, that… that wasn't right. Didn't make sense.

The world blurred.

 _Drip-Drip_

A dog couldn't tear a man apart like that. It didn't have the strength. Not to sever a fucking human head, nor tear an arm off. Jaune's fingers found a rock and he hurled it at the beast. It went high, over its head, but the beast recoiled nonetheless, as if hit. Except he hadn't hit it. The rock should have gone above.

But it bounced off _something_ and fell to the grass.

The pain came back. He felt like he was drowning again. The constant _Drip-Drip_ echoed in his skull. And the dog, the monster, was it taller? Was it bigger? Or was he just imagining it now being six or more feet tall? Was he imagining it growing in front of his very eyes, gaining definition, colour and focus? It didn't look like a dog at all! How had he ever thought it was!?

Poised on its hind legs, front-claws extended, the monster was way bigger than any dog he'd ever seen, even the biggest of them. It was bigger than a lion. Bigger than a gorilla! His brain roiled as it seemed to grow before his eyes, becoming, not different, but whole.

 _Drip-Drip_

 _Splash_

"W-What are you? Monster! Monster! Someone help!"

The monster threw back its head and howled to the moon above. As if a spell was broken, Jaune dashed to his feet and ran. His hand struck the bushes ahead, catching and drawing blood on a thorn as he pushed through. Behind him, he heard the beast fall onto all fours and begin to lope after him.

Oh, God. Oh, God. He was going to be killed.

The path. He had to get to the path. There would be people, people who could help. What people could do against something like this, he didn't know, but one might have a gun, surely? This was Massachusetts; everyone had a fucking gun!

Crashing through the next bush, Jaune collided with a figure he hadn't spotted. Shorter than he, and incredibly thin, his hands clamped down on the shoulders of what looked to be a young girl. He couldn't tell more because she had a red hoodie up covering her hair, and a red scarf pulled up to her nose. All he could see was pale skin, eyes the strangest colour, practically silver, and a shock of dark hair dyed red at the tips.

Shit. He'd wanted a person to help, but not someone younger than him! He glanced back, suddenly aware that not only was the monster close, but that she could probably hear it now.

"Get out of here," he panted. "You have to ru-eh!?"

The girl in front of him vanished. His arms were suddenly holding nothing, being supported by nothing, and he fell forward with an awkward yelp, knocking his knee against a rock and earning a sharp hiss of pain. All around him, red petals seemed to flutter and float in the air, some falling over him, like he'd crashed through a flower patch or something.

"What the hell?"

The beast roared once more. Jaune gasped and turned, desperate to at least _see_ what killed him, and maybe to push a hand in its eye when it did.

To his surprise, the girl stood before him. Tight black jeans leading up to a red hoodie. She had two wires coming from her ears, headphones of some kind. Did she not hear what was happening? And how had she disappeared in front of him and gotten behind?

"Hey! Get out of here. There's this huge fucking monster after me!"

"You can see it." Her voice was soft, lilting. It wasn't accented like most of the people in the area; the common `woostah` accent he was used to hearing from people back home. It was lighter, softer, like someone from one of the big cities. "You can see it," the girl repeated, and this time he had the feeling it was a question. One aimed at him.

"Of course I can see it! Look at the damn thing!"

"That's not good. You should have stayed in the dream. Where it's safe."

"W-What are you talking about!?"

"It doesn't matter." The girl sighed and flicked one hand to the side. Something flashed in the air, shimmering silver as a _giant_ blade of steel appeared before his eyes. It was attached to a metal rod bigger than her, the blade curved wickedly. A scythe. "Stay here," the girl whispered. "I'll deal with you in a moment."

Deal…? Jaune tried to speak but could only choke in horror as the monster finally reached them, barrelling through the buses with an angry roar. It was huge now, stood on its hind legs and easily eight feet tall, covered in rippling muscle and armed with razor-sharp claws. It was impossible to think of it as a dog. Absolutely impossible. He wasn't even sure how he'd thought it was.

This… This was a monster straight out of a nightmare.

This existed.

"Ugh." His hand gripped his head. The burning had come back, like bubbles exploding in his head, a never-ending rush of water, endless like the ocean.

 _Drip-Drip_

And that infernal dripping, louder than ever.

It was a roar of pain that brought him back. Blood splashed onto the grass before him, but as Jaune looked up, he realised it wasn't the girl being killed before his eyes. No. She was on a low-hanging branch, crouched down with her impossibly large weapon held beside her. Though he could see no more past her hood and scarf, her silver eyes were sharp and deadly. She leapt down, scarf fluttering up and above her as she twisted her weapon and brought it down on the spine of the monster, carving through flesh, muscle and bone as gravity dragged her down.

The monster screamed and spun, swinging a mighty claw for her face. The girl flickered back and rolled, a mere flash of red as she dug into her pocket and drew out a black object. One shot, two, and then a third, the sound almost deafening. The beast flinched back with every bullet that tore into it, but the girl treat it like nothing more than a distraction, bringing her scythe back around to cut through the beast's hind-left leg. It fell to one knee with a mighty crash.

This girl, this, this _crazy girl_ , was going to kill it.

And then… and then she was going to deal with him.

/-/

The girl watched the monster crash down with an impassionate gaze. It reached out one final time for her, almost longingly, and yet as she stepped back, the clawed hand dug down, missing her foot by mere inches. The scythe rose and fell, lopping off the creature's head. With another flick, she cleaned the blood from the blade, watching the monster break into motes of dust and float away.

"Another night, another hunt..."

Turning, the girl hooked the scythe back behind her, aware that people would have heard, and that the police were likely on their way. She couldn't stay. _They_ couldn't stay, she realised, remembering that she was not alone. She reached up to her scarf, about to pull it down and speak, when she noticed that there was no one behind her. Just a patch of grass squashed down where a young man had lay not two minutes earlier, and a tiny amount of blood on a rock. He was gone. He'd run.

The girl reached into her pocket and drew forth a phone, an almost ancient mobile by today's standards. Bringing it to her ear, she dialled a number.

"It's me. We have a problem." A pause. The girl's boot idly kicked away a piece of human flesh. "Worse than that. There was a person here, a witness. He saw me."

Curses on the other line."

"He saw _it_ , too."

Silence.

"An Awakened."

* * *

 **So, there we go. Different tone to what I normally do, but I'm a little tired of the canon storyline at this point anyway, so writing this completely AU is fun. Obviously, I am from the UK, so you'll have to forgive some Britishisms that slip in. I'll be trying to catch them but I don't know all that much of US accents and might make mistakes. I've done some research on Mass, of course, but little words might slip through.**

 **Next Chapter: 30th September**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	2. Chapter 2

**So, things. A lot of people did the usual "This is like…" in the reviews, and I realised I forgot to mention any inspirations last chapter. I'll go ahead and say I took minor inspiration from Lovecraft and also Bloodborne, but it's not always in the obvious ways. "Hunters" isn't a BB reference; it's just a shortening of huntsmen. It's more some of the psychological aspects from Bloodborne.**

 **No references to Bleach, I'm afraid, though I could see the similarities to it as well as Persona in the whole "high school with monsters" trope. It is a fairly common one, though. Anyway, glad to see the good response to the first chapter.**

 **As for why I did this in the US, as some people asked, there are certain aspects of US culture I just need for this story. Things that don't appear in the UK, and thus make the story there all but impossible – even if it would have been easier for me. Essentially, there are certain Americanisms that I need.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

* * *

"I'm not imagining it, I swear. I know what I saw!""

"Look, son, it was late, dark, and you've been through a harrowing situation," the kindly officer said. He didn't let Jaune's tone affect him, likely used to as bad, if not worse, language. "You're shaken, and that's understandable. It's easy to make mistakes in a situation like that."

"I…I..."

The thing, the monster – for what else could it be called? – had been as real as the man sat opposite him and the cooling styrofoam cup of hot chocolate in his hands. But then, that was what hallucinations did to you, wasn't it? You saw things that weren't there. Could it have been…? He wanted to say no, and yet the truth was so much harder to accept. Vanishing girls, flower petals and monsters.

"Now, I'm not saying you're going loopy or that you need help. Dangerous situation like that, it makes sense your mind plays tricks on you. Fear does that to even the bravest of men. If it were a dog, it might have reared up, but at this point, with the damage done to the victim, we're thinking it might have been a bear."

Jaune wanted to laugh. How the hell would a bear have found its way into Vale, right into the park in the centre of all the urbanisation? It was ridiculous.

Though not quite as ridiculous as the idea of it being a monster.

"Y-You're right. I must have messed up. Sorry."

"Like I said, it's alright, son. We found the body of the victim, though not the animal nor the girl you said got in the way." If he thought Jaune had dreamt that up as well, he refrained from saying so. "I can't tell you much about an ongoing case, but our initial thoughts are that she managed to get away. At least we hope she did. No news is good news. Drew it off you while she was at it."

"What about the body?"

"You leave that to us. It's not something a young man like you should have to think about, let alone deal with." The officer sighed, and it looked for a moment like he didn't want to deal with it either. Who would? "For the record, we have your name and address. If we need you, do you mind answering any more questions further down the line?"

"Of course. You can call me or send someone round. After school hours, that is. If you need me during you can come to school."

"Eastfield High, right?"

"Yeah."

"Thanks, son. We appreciate this." The man patted Jaune's shoulder, as had every officer to see him. They all seemed to think he was one fright short of a breakdown, which was probably about right. The shakes had gone away but his fingers still twitched every now and then. In the crime dramas, the one on the scene was always treated as the first suspect, and he wondered why they were being so nice here. Maybe it was good cop bad cop without the bad, or maybe they knew from even a cursory look at the body that no seventeen-year-old could do that. The poor guy had to be covered in claw and teeth marks, none of them human.

The officer helped him up, replaced his cold chocolate with a new one, fresh from a nearby coffee shop, and led him to the front entrance, hand around his shoulder the entire time. Jaune felt weak at first, but after a few seconds to stretch his legs, he felt a little of his normal strength return.

"You're going to be shaken for a bit after that. Try to get some food and do your best to keep it down. If you feel you need tomorrow off school, take it, but it's best to be around people. A dose of normality will help you recover quicker."

"Right. Got it."

"If you need any help or you feel worse, get in contact. We've got people who can help with this."

"I… I think I'll be okay. But thank you."

The officer clearly didn't believe him but accepted his decision with a nod. A taxi had already been called for him, and pre-paid, and he climbed into it outside, leaning back as the door shut. They'd offered him a lift home but the last thing he wanted was Mr and Mrs Mars seeing him come back in a squad car and jumping to the wrong conclusion. He didn't want to talk about this tonight.

He wanted to forget.

Luckily, the cabbie felt the same way, wishing him a goodnight as he clambered out and driving off. To Jaune's relief, Mrs Mars was absent, back inside where it was warm. Safe. Jaune rubbed his hands together and made his way up the stairs to the second-floor landing and the apartments there. He had a feeling this would be the last late-night jog he took for a while. At least until the news told him a killer animal had been caught.

He fumbled with his keys in the lock, missing twice due to his nerves and dropping the keys on the third time. With a curse, he stooped to pick them up, and stood to find himself face-to-face with a frowning girl.

Blake again. Shit.

"S-Sorry," he stammered. "Couldn't get it in." He paused, catching the implication. "The key, I mean." He cursed again internally. Like she'd think he meant anything else. "Ignore me. Had a bad night."

Her eyes flickered oddly in the moonlight. Were they… yellow? And glowing slightly? No. It was his mind playing tricks on him again.

"Hm," she hummed, saying nothing,

The key slotted in a second later and he almost gasped in relief, pushing in with one shoulder, shooting a quick `goodnight` to the girl outside.

"It is a good night," she said, walking away, not to her room, but outside, down the stairs.

"No, it's not," Jaune whispered, closing, locking and then putting a chair up against the door. "It's not at all." He fell on his bed, head in his hands. "Fuck! I should have warned her about the bear!" he looked up again, prepared to make a dash for the door. "She'll be gone by now. Damn it."

Gods, he was a mess. The clock on the desk beeped at around 10:30. He wanted to call his parents, to cry, yell and just get it all out, but mom would be asleep, and it was a working day tomorrow. Dad was on base and probably busy. And really, did he _want_ to talk about what he'd seen? He wasn't even sure what it was.

That _thing_. It hadn't been a bear, or a wolf. Maybe he _had_ seen it wrong – he'd been too terrified to stop and measure the damn thing – but the shape of it, the eyes, the proportions, those all felt wrong for any animal he recognised. And the girl, he'd heard her speak, and more than that he'd gotten away while the animal was distracted.

"While it was killed," he murmured. "Wait, but they said they didn't find its body?"

Had the girl taken it away, like some kind of trophy? Who the hell was she? And who used a scythe to hunt with anyway?

"No. No," he gritted, head between his hands. "Stop thinking about it."

Forcing himself to lay down, Jaune pulled the blankets up to his chin and clenched his eyes shut. His apartment was safe, as was he, and soon the police would sort this out and make the whole city safe. Like the guy said, he'd been through a bad thing.

He'd get better.

/-/

Jaune's forehead pressed against the tiles of his shower. One hand turned off the hot spray before it could turn cold and he stood for a moment, letting the water drip down. His eyes were bloodshot, his face slack.

Sleep. It hadn't come easy.

Night terrors plagued him, waking him up constantly, and in those moments late at night, huddled under the blankets, his imagination had played cruel games with him, making him imagine that he'd heard noises. Noises of animals. Claws on wood, snuffling, growling. Like a dog was outside his door, except that such was impossible as he was on the second floor in a gated apartment block. In one moment, he'd even imagined an angry roar out in the city.

Maybe he had. Maybe it was the police killing the animal.

Doubtful. There hadn't been any gunshots. It was probably just his imagination playing back the same, harrowing sound the animal had made when it dropped that man's arm. This was PTSD or something, or a recurring dream. It made sense given how panicked he was.

All in all, one bad night's sleep was a small price to pay.

His eyes trailed down the wall, to the drain below, where the water swirled in the bottom of the shower, round and round in a clockwise motion, ever downward. Down. Under. His head beneath the water, staring into a dark tunnel. Being pushed forward. Suffocating.

His leg gave, and he fell, snapping out of the daydream with a startled yelp. He managed to snap out a hand in time to stop him before he banged his knee on the shower floor, but only just. Another nightmare, this time while awake. The feeling of being pushed down into water. Had it been of Cardin's bullying the day before?

"Great. Now I'm getting PTSD over that? No…" He rubbed his face and sighed. It was probably just his nerves fraying, or the adrenaline coming and going. He'd jump at just about anything right now, Cardin included.

His cheek twitched.

He could hear it again.

 _Drip-Drip_

If it wasn't the nightmares keeping him up, it was the infernal dripping. Like a tap left on over a full sink, except that he'd checked all his at least ten times now and couldn't get it to go away. It must have been from next door, either the empty apartment or Blake's. Which meant he wasn't going to be telling her to turn it off anytime soon. She'd notice it whenever she next used her tap. He just had to put up with it for now.

Maybe school would help in that regard. The officer did say to go back to normal routines. With that in mind, Jaune slung his bag up over his shoulder and let himself out, slamming the door shut behind him.

As he did, he noticed some odd grooves on his door.

Were those… claw marks?

No. He was imagining it. Or making it worse than it had to be. A cat, a dog, or maybe just a raccoon or something. Monsters weren't real, least of all the kind he thought he saw last night. Jaune closed his eyes, and his mind, and hurried to the staircase, hopping down them two at a time.

He had a life to live. And that life didn't include wild fantasies and nightmares.

/-/

Pushing himself into the classroom, Jaune checked his watch. Twenty to nine, which meant he had ten minutes left until everyone was expected to sit down for names being taken. He breathed a sigh of relief and looked about the room, bringing a hand up in a wave when he spotted Ren and Nora by the back window, sat at their desks. Nora had her bag on the space to her right, saving it for him.

"Hey Ren," he said, sitting down. "Hey Nora. And thanks."

Nora giggled and took her bag back. "No problem."

It wasn't accurate to say he had no friends in Eastfield, just very few. Ren and Nora were his only ones, and it was a miracle he'd made them in the first place. Ren was a quiet and introspective guy with dark hair, asian features and a perpetually calm look on his face. He was the kind of guy who could have been cool if he'd wanted to be, but who didn't care enough to try. He wasn't lazy, just focused on what he thought was important, schoolwork and his small number of friends.

Nora, on the other hand, was his exact opposite. Bubbly where he was taciturn, talkative where he was quiet, and all around hyper. She had pretty green eyes, vibrant ginger hair and a pale complexion. She was a girl who by all rights shouldn't be sat with us, let alone talking to us, but instead be a part of some popular clique. She had the kind of figure most guys drooled over, and combined with her wide smile, friendly personality and – ahem – generous proportions, she was the epitome of the girl next door.

He'd have harboured feelings for her too, if it wasn't for the fact he knew she was so obviously into Ren, his best bud. That put a damper on such things, but luckily did so before Jaune could develop his own feelings and get hurt as a result. Since he'd known he realistically wouldn't have a chance from the start, he'd never fallen for her, and instead savoured their friendship.

Meeting them had been a fluke, though. He'd come into class on his first day, filled with crushed hope and dreams after realising Cardin had come to haunt him. Lost and lethargic, he'd sat near the quietest guy he could find, hoping beyond all hope that the guy would at least put up with him. Ren had said nothing, but then he hadn't had to, Nora appeared a second later to tell him that was her seat.

He'd been so embarrassed, he gotten up to leave – but Nora wouldn't have it, dragging him back down and saying that she understood Ren was awesome, and that they could share him. One sitting on either side. She'd then dragged a table over – very loudly – and sat Jaune down behind it, forming a trio that just sort of held after that. Ren went along with it because it was easy, and Jaune did because, well, he hadn't known how to say no to Nora.

It all worked out, though.

"You look terrible, Jaune," Ren said, concern across his face. "Were you doing homework all night…?"

The veiled question wasn't very veiled. They knew about the bullying, knew and wanted to help, but Jaune wouldn't let them. Like most schools in the US, Eastfield operated a No Tolerance Policy for bullying – among other things – and as such, if they tried to help him and were caught in any violence, they'd be suspended, or worse, expelled. That, and he doubted it would change anything in the long run. Their understanding was enough, and their help cleaning or catching up on ruined homework. He didn't want to lose them.

Of course, Cardin also had to play by the no tolerance rules, but the one time he'd done something overt enough to be seen, his parents had called in some favours and reduced his suspension to detentions instead. Since then, he kept his bullying secret and often non-violent. Or, well, non-violent in the sense of leaving little evidence that could act as proof.

Either way, Ren was way off in this case.

"It's not what you think. I… well…" He hesitated, but the police hadn't told him to keep it quiet. Eventually, he caved and leaned forward, motioning for them to do the same. "Okay, listen. I got involved in something last night that I really shouldn't have. I'll tell you about it, but you have to stay quiet until I'm done. Okay?"

Sensing how serious he was, they both nodded, and Jaune dove into the tale of the previous night, sparing no grisly detail as he went. Ren's eyes widened, and Nora's mouth fell open, but true to their promises they remained silent, listening as Jaune described the fear of being trapped so close to death, the panic afterwards and the nightmares that kept him awake and his meeting with the police.

Once he was done, he yawned and said, "And that's why I look like death warmed over."

"Shit…" Nora whispered.

"I heard the news about a wild animal this morning," Ren said, equally shocked. "I didn't think for a second you might have been involved. No wonder you feel so bad. I'm glad you're safe."

"The police said it was normal to feel like this given what I saw."

"I can imagine. Are you sure you should be in school today? Surely the teachers would understand."

"They also said I should have as close to a normal routine as possible. Being at home…" Jaune winced. "It didn't help. Being left with my thoughts isn't a nice thing right now."

"Do you want us to come over tonight?" Nora asked. "We could make a sleepover of it."

Jaune smiled as he felt a rush of warmth inside, for a moment dispelling that annoying dripping sound that still clung to him. That was just like Nora, instantly dropping all her plans to help a friend. Ren was there too, nodding.

"Nah, it's fine. How about this weekend, though? Wan to go downtown together? The three of us?"

"Sure!"

"Fine with me," Ren said."

"Thanks." Jaune nodded. "As for today… well, I'll just have to try not to fall asleep or freak out at any shadows."

"Ah. Well, we'll just have to keep an eye on you just in case."

"We sure will," Nora said, gripping his hand in hers. "Don't worry, Jaune. You'll never have to deal with anything like that again. My dad's a cop. He'll find the crazy thing and catch it. Then we'll put it in a zoo and people will pay to come see it."

"I'll pay not to," he said, though he managed to get out a little laugh. "I'm just looking forward to the weekend. I need to have a proper lay-in."

The door opened once more as the homeroom teacher came in, the signal for everyone to take their seats as he made his way to the front of the classroom and settled down. Jaune took his bag and stuffed it under the desk, pausing as Nora bumped a knee against his beneath the table. A silent show of support. He smiled back, and immediately felt a little better.

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all…

/-/

School progressed as it usually did, and Jaune was surprised to find that the familiar routine did in fact help. He was too distracted by the droning of teachers in the subjects he didn't care for, and the subject matter in the courses he did like, that he hardly any time to think on what happened the night before. At least, mostly. The breaks between lessons were when his mind went back to that moment, and Ren and Nora couldn't keep him distracted all day long.

It's normal, he told himself. There was nothing wrong in being plagued by this. A part of him wanted to call his father, who had dealt with numerous people suffering stress and even PSTD, usually for a lot worse reasons than he. Nicholas would understand what was going on and drop everything he could to come help, but something stayed his hand.

Maybe it was the desire to not be a burden, or just that typical male instinct to do everything without help. Bottle it up inside and deal with it in-house. Either way, Jaune found himself backtracking each time he thought to tell his parents. Best not to worry them, especially over something they couldn't help with.

His thoughts strayed to the girl, too. Hard not to. She was the easier thing to think of compared to that monster, even if she had promised to "deal" with him. The memories were hazy, and he'd been too panicked to pay attention to the details, but she had looked young. Younger than him, though maybe only by a couple of years.

"I refuse to believe I hallucinated all that…"

"What was that?" Ren asked, stood nearby packing his own bag as the lesson ended.

"Huh? Oh nothing, sorry. Talking to myself."

"Hm." It was clear Ren didn't believe him, but his friend made a point of not pushing. Either he or Nora had been by his side all day, even when he went to the bathroom. The hovering was so much that even Cardin had given up any hope of getting a chance alone with him, settling for a body-check into the lockers earlier.

He'd only managed that because Jaune saw something. A huge shadow had appeared on the edge of his vision, filling a corridor from floor to ceiling in a vaguely animal-like shape. He'd almost screamed before it vanished, leaving nothing behind. It had been hazy and indistinct and, he realised after, likely a hallucination based on what he'd seen yesterday.

Still normal, he thought to comfort himself. There was nothing wrong about jumping at shadows after seeing someone killed. It would be weirder if he was fine with it all.

"Don't worry about it," Jaune said to Ren, "I'm just jumpy. Can you blame me?"

Ren laughed, "I guess not. Take my advice Jaune, even if you dislike it. Stay home tonight. Don't go out on another late-night jog."

"Ha. As if you have to tell me that." Even when he picked running back up, he wouldn't be going anywhere near the park. For now, and the foreseeable weekend, he intended to lock himself away with pizza and kebabs. "We're meeting up Sunday, right?" he said, changing the subject. "At the bus stop, then to the cinema?"

"At eleven, yes. Don't eat. We'll get lunch before the movie."

"Are your parents okay with it?"

Ren's parents were immigrants like Jaune's own – his had come from France and Ireland, whereas Ren's came from across Asia. It was hard to tell with Ren looking like a cross between Japanese and Korean – but the bigger difference was how conservative Ren's parents could be. They didn't have a problem with him, but they weren't sure what to make of Nora and her interest in their son. It didn't help that Nora was so outgoing and friendly to anyone and everyone.

"As far as they know, I'm going to a movie with you," Ren said. "Make sure it stays that way, alright?"

"Ha. Sure. I'll be your wingman."

Ren sighed. "You know it's not like that."

"Won't stop me teasing."

"Idiot." Ren smirked and punched Jaune's arm lightly. "When are you going to find a girl so I can do it back?"

"I'm not really what most girls look for in a guy."

"Yeah, sure. Blond, athletic and independent. Such unattractive traits. It's a wonder I can stand in your presence without being sick." The sarcasm was thick. "I can understand not being confident, but that's not going to change if you don't approach someone. Think on it. Before Nora gets it in her head to match-make for you. You don't want that."

"It would make things easier."

"You. Don't. Want. That," Ren repeated, slower this time. "Have faith in the man who knows her best."

"Alright, alright. You two really are peas in a pod, though. When are you going to ask her out and go official?"

"It's not that easy. Things are… complicated."

Ren said no more, and Jaune caught the hint to leave it be. Parents and family, he guessed. With school coming to a close many of the students were already filing – or outright running – for freedom. Ren was always more sedate about it, both as per his personality and because he had to wait for Nora, who had her own classes since she was studying business.

Nora and business. It had surprised him too.

Either way, Jaune waited along with him, not yet wanting to be alone. While Ren packed up, Jaune allowed his attention to wander out the window to the front of school below, where a horde of students were pouring out the front entrance like water from a hose. Most congregated in groups like their own, chatting and making plans for the weekend. The bike racks were also busy, along with the parking area, small as it was and overflowing with parents come to pick up their kids as usual. Eastfield High was reputable enough that some travelled to attend.

A shock of blonde hair caught his attention, long and lustrous with a golden sheen. Most people nowadays considered their hair long if it went past their shoulders, but she wore it down to her lower back like a waterfall, wild and often untamed.

"Setting your sights a little high there," Ren commented.

Jaune's cheeks flushed. "I didn't say anything." He glowered. "And didn't you just tell me I'm not unattractive?"

"Say it like that and Nora will start to worry. Besides, there's still such a thing as aiming too high. Though what do I know? She's turned everyone who's ever asked her down. Maybe you have a shot."

"I doubt it."

Yang Xiao-Long. Chinese name, Caucasian features. It was hardly the most polarising thing about the girl who was considered the beauty of Eastfield High. Her perfect face, vibrant purple-tinted eyes and generous figure had caught the eye of every guy with a pulse and an interest in the opposite gender. Some girls, too. Jaune hardly blamed them. In a world of Instagram gone wild and racy Facebook snaps, Yang somehow managed to stand above all of it, looking airbrushed in real life. She could have been a supermodel. There were rumours she was.

But at the same time, there had never been someone who so encapsulated the ideal of not judging a book by its cover. She might have looked like the preppy girl who wore too much makeup and simpered for the boys, but Yang had quickly set the record straight on that front.

There was no one in Eastfield who had more detentions and suspensions than she. No one who had flaunted the rules more obviously, be it scuffling with other students, being late on her homework or just skipping school. Yang may have looked pretty, and was, but she was a delinquent to the core. It was probably surprise at seeing her in school and in uniform that had caught his eye in the first place. What little time she did spend in school, she often spent sleeping, sat at the back of the cafeteria with her eyes closed, surrounded by her posse of popular girls, many of which Jaune was sure she didn't even acknowledge.

"Not all that glitters is gold," Jaune said whimsically.

"You should try that line on her. See how far it gets you."

"Shut up, Ren." Great, and now that Ren had some ammunition, the teasing was going to be paid back tenfold. "I'm just surprised she's here. Most of the teachers have given up on getting her to do anything. It's a miracle she's not dropped out by now."

"She must be passing, then." Ren said. "If barely. Maybe she could use a tutor."

"Shut up, Ren."

His friend grinned impishly. "Just saying."

"Yeah well, I'm just saying you can-" Jaune cut off as down below, Yang turned to the side, reacting to something. The surly scowl she wore almost all the time, along the pinched eyes that spoke of exhaustion or lack of sleep, faded away in an instant. A smile came out, bright and warm enough to light even the darkest room.

He didn't think he'd ever seen her smile. Not really. Sheesh, it was as beautiful as the rest of her. Jaune grumbled at that, and the quick pitter-patter in his chest. Out of his league by miles she may have been, but he was still a teenager. He was allowed to admire from a distance. Curiosity got the better of him, however. What could make someone like her, little miss gives-no-shits herself, smile like that? A boyfriend? A lover? Jaune half-expected someone covered in tattoos on a motorcycle to pull up.

What he didn't expect was a little girl flinging herself at her. Yang caught and spun her around, laughing delightedly.

"Huh?"

"Hm?" Ren looked over, and like the whipped not-quite-boyfriend he was, showed no reaction to Yang's beautiful smile or laughter. "Oh. I heard she had a sister."

"A sister?"

"Little sister. Think she studies at a nearby school. Some guy in calculus tried to befriend her to get close to Yang. Didn't go well from what I heard."

He could imagine. It had happened once or twice with guys trying to get him to like them to improve the odds with his sisters, always to similarly disastrous effects. Still, the two down below didn't look like one another at all. Yang was tall and full-figured, while her sister was short and, from what he could make out of her under hoodie, thin and not nearly so developed. She had darker hair, too, the bangs poking out from her red hood.

Red…

 _Drip-Drip_

Ugh. That infernal sound again. Jaune gripped his head with both hands, as if trying to plug the leak. Had someone left a tap on in the class…? He backed up and hit the table behind him, wincing as it scraped across the floor.

"Jaune…?" Ren asked.

 _Drip-Drip_

The sound receded a moment later and Jaune let out a long breath as he opened his eyes. The world was the same, albeit for some spots before his eyes from how hard he'd held them shut. Unbidden, his attention went downward again, instantly meeting a pair of eyes looking directly up into his.

Oops.

Jaune flinched, caught. They were both staring directly at him as he stared down on them from the second-floor window like some kind of stalker. Yang looked unimpressed, her sister… well, hard to say. Surprised, if anything. What to do, what to do. Smile and wave? Look away? Not much point pretending he hadn't been watching if they'd caught him like that. Jaune swallowed and made to tear his eyes away, when something caught them.

Yang's sister… She had pale skin and dark hair tipped with red, along with bright silver eyes, visible even from how far away he was. They were wide and growing wider, as if she'd recognised him. Remembered him.

The girl. The girl from the park. It was her.

Jaune took a step back as panic set in. He hit the table again, but this time pushed it back. There was no mistaking the girl down below, her face – what little he'd seen of it – was _burned_ into his memory. As if to prove the point, she said something quickly to her sister and broke off, taking a step towards the school building, eyes locked on his even from so great a distance. She rushed forward and out of view, _into_ the school.

" _I'll deal with you in a moment."_

Shit, shit, shit. Jaune grabbed his bag and darted, ignoring Ren's worried shout. "I'll see you Sunday!" Jaune yelled, slamming out the door before his friend could ask what was wrong. There was no doubt in his mind that the girl, the killer, was coming for him. She had no reason to be here, let alone to go _into_ a school she didn't attend. His eyes flicked to the stairs leading down and out, but they were the central ones, the very staircase someone entering the school would use. He went the other way, dashing through the empty halls with his heart hammering in his chest.

There was an alternate route down and out, over by the main hall. He reached it and pushed through, looking around quickly. Yang wasn't here, nor was her sister. Taking the steps two at a time, Jaune hurried down and pushed out of the fire exit nearby, closing it behind him.

His heart was hammering in his chest.

Still, he was out of the school – around the back – and she was inside. Not willing to push his luck, Jaune ran off the school grounds and into the streets of Vale. As he turned two corners without incident, he allowed himself to relax just a little, slowing to a fast-paced walk.

Something was going on here. If the girl was real and not a hallucination, then did that mean the other things he'd seen were real? What if that monster really _had_ existed…

 _Drip-Drip_

What if there was more of them?

 _Splash_.

The sound echoed painfully, forcing him to grip his head again. It was gone a second later, but the sound of water breaking the surface felt like a knife through his skull. He swayed and had to hold a hand against a nearby wall to steady himself as his head _throbbed_.

"Ugh… Why…?"

Gritting his teeth, his eyes opened. The world seemed… shadowed. No, that wasn't quite right. It was more like the shadows were… wrong, somehow. The one connected to his feet was fine as were those around him of other people, but it was as if some also walked upright of their own accord. A few times when he was younger – and even more recently – he'd thought he'd seen a shadow walk by from the corner of his eye, only to find it not there when he looked. Such stories were common and just attributed to the mind creating an image for some minor movement caught in peripheral vision. Nothing serious.

But now, here, they remained. Stayed. Didn't fade into nothing but an over-active imagination. They were still just shadows, however. One passed right through him without any feeling, without even reacting to him.

Jaune's eyes were drawn up towards the sky. His mouth went dry.

There was a black line across the sky – a jagged, black scar as if someone had taken a black marker and drawn a lightning bolt directly into the sky itself. It pulsed along with the _dripping_ in his head, almost in tune with it.

And judging from the way everyone continued about their day, he was the only one seeing it.

"W-What's happening to me?"

/-/

He was gone. Again.

The girl slammed a hand on the empty windowsill she'd seen him at. The classroom was empty, and she didn't really belong and would be told to leave if anyone saw her. She hadn't passed him on the stairs, which meant he must have found a different way out. He knew the area better than she did.

She'd messed up again. Damn it.

 _Tick-Tock_

The sound. She knew it well, had done since she was young. The girl's silver eyes were drawn up from her clenched fists, out of the window and towards the sky, where a jagged black line had appeared in the sky above Vale. It had not been there that morning.

The girl cursed and took a nervous step back.

Yang appeared from the corridor behind her, expression stony.

"Looks like it's going to be a busy weekend."

The girl didn't disagree. Couldn't. Her eyes were fixed on the jagged, pulsing scar.

 _Tick-Tock_

"A _Nightmare_ is coming."

* * *

 **Ominous terminology? You know shit is getting serious when the symbolism starts getting cracked out. Awakened, Nightmares, strange noises and mysterious goings-ons. It's time for the true crossover to begin – Scooby Doo, where are you!?**

 **Ahem. No...**

 **To those who also asked, Headmaster Arc is set to replace White Sheep. I did say this before in both White Sheep and in Kingdom's Service, but I'll say it again here.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 7** **th** **October**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here we are again – and we have some lovely fanart to act as the cover now, thanks to Z-Comix. Aw, look at Jaune's expression. So adorable. I imagine this is the expression he pulls every time he realises he's about to become the protagonist in one of my stories.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 3**

* * *

They were everywhere. The shadows.

Shadow was the best and only way to describe them, but it wasn't entirely accurate either. They were like incorporeal shapes that both did and didn't exist. Sometimes he would look their way and see nothing, and then there would be something – something big – and then it would fade away again as it passed through someone. They weren't tangible, weren't solid, but it was enough to send his heart racing as he sprinted back to his apartment.

 _Am I on drugs? Did someone slip me something…?_

It would explain away the hallucinations, for what else could they be? Vale was a pretty safe city, but this was America. People would find drugs if they had to. LSD, meth, Jaune's knowledge on narcotics wasn't the best, but he was fairly sure those could cause things like this. There were probably a thousand other types of drug that did the same.

But it wouldn't explain the girl. Ren had seen her, talked about her, and then the girl had look up to see him and decided that pursuing him was the only option. She had existed. There was no doubting that. But this scar in the sky, and the shadow-shapes… those did not exist. Or they were tricks of the light, his mind or whatever was running around his system.

"Lack of sleep. It has to be." He barked a laugh as he reached the street his apartment was on. "It's like the officer said, I'm seeing things where there isn't anything. Those shadows… they could just be spots on my eyes."

The excuse felt thin, even to him, but Jaune jogged up the stairs as fast as he could, not even pausing to return Mr Mars' greeting. He reached his landing and surged forward, hand fumbling for his keys. As he did, he collided with someone coming the other way.

"Again!?" Blake Belladonna sighed. She was on her way down. In a hurry, if it was anything to go by. "You need to watch where you're going."

"S-Sorry. I'm sorry. I-" Jaune's eyes met hers and widened. Her irises were bright yellow. Not just amber or light-brown, but a faintly _glowing_ gold, like the eyes of a wild animal. "S-Shit." He took a step back.

 _Drip-Drip_

Blake's eyes narrowed. "What's your problem?"

"N-Nothing. Excuse me." He pushed by the girl, all too aware that she stared him down with obvious curiosity even as he hit his door and fumbled the key into the lock, sweat running down his brow. Don't ask what was wrong. Please, of all times, don't let Blake start to care about him now. He wasn't sure he could face those eyes again, not when they were as unexplainable as everything else going on right now.

To his relief, she didn't ask. Her eyes followed him as he got the lock open and pushed inside, but Jaune slammed the door shut, cutting her off. His apartment was as he'd left it. Safe, comfortable and a beacon a normality. Locking the door behind him – and putting the deadbolt in place for once – Jaune staggered to his bed and sat down, head falling into his hands which rested between his knees.

His cell buzzed. He almost flinched. It was Ren.

" _Is something wrong? You ran off in a hurry."_

" _I'm fine,"_ Jaune typed back. _"Just remembered something."_

" _Alright… See you Sunday?"_

Ren's ellipsis made his doubt clear, but how could he tell his friend about this? _"Yeah. I'm still on Sunday. Cya then."_

With that dealt with, Jaune fell back atop his sheets, arms splayed out above him. What was he supposed to do? The police seemed the obvious option, especially with that girl after him, but what could he say to them? Oh yes, I've been seeing strange and unexplainable things and hearing a dripping noise in my head, and then a girl is chasing me – and I'm sure she has bad things in mind because I saw her kill that monster. Yes, that monster you all decided was just a bear, and the girl of which was another victim.

He couldn't see that going well. They'd either send him away, throw him in a hospital for drug tests or if he were unlucky, see about having him sanctioned. Either way, they'd get in touch with his parents and he wasn't sure what they'd think.

Hell, _he_ wasn't sure what to think.

The girl didn't know where he was. She knew Yang, was apparently her sister, but Yang didn't know where he lived either. She wouldn't be able to find him, and even if she did want to try something, she couldn't do it on the school grounds while classes were on. At the very least, he was safe until Monday. Assuming he didn't just run into her randomly, that was. Then again, he could stay in Saturday and he'd be with Ren and Nora Sunday in a high-population area.

It was the best he was going to get, he realised. There was no way the police would believe him, and even if they tried for the sake of precaution, he didn't have any evidence against Yang's sister. It would be his word against hers, and it was innocent until proven guilty.

The only thing he could do was sleep on it. At least then, whatever was running through his system – be it drugs, exhaustion or just paranoia – would have run its course. He was still tired from a poor night's sleep the day before. Rolling onto his side, Jaune closed his eyes.

Sleep came easy.

 _Drip-Drip_

/-/

He was underwater.

There was no understanding why, but then he felt no compulsion to ask, nor to doubt. Swimming under a deep ocean, with the sunlight so far above as to be all but hidden and the deep, dark abyss below, an inky mass of shadow.

A small part of him questioned about air, but his lungs didn't protest, even as he swam further and further down. He wasn't sure why he did. He just did. The depth didn't bother him and there was no pressure. No marine life, either, nor any sign of a seabed.

That should have worried him, but it didn't.

Pulling himself deeper with both arms, Jaune swam toward the inky black. It seemed to be pulling him in, drawing him deeper. Despite the water all around, the _Drip-Drip_ in his head was louder than ever. Echoing, like a bell tolling in a great and cavernous cathedral.

It shook his body each time.

If he could but swim deeper, he could get rid of that infernal dripping. He could plug the leak, stop it.

There – in the dark! – a glimmer of light. Cerulean, or white, or whiteish-blue. It was impossible to hold on to what colour or shape it was, but Jaune swung his arms harder than ever to reach it. If he could, everything would make sense. Everything would be fixed. Everything…

Everything…

 _Drip-Drip_

Everything…

 _Drip-Drip_

Everything was wrong. Why was he underwater? Why was he swimming deeper? Jaune hesitated, and in doing so fully grasped his situation. His hands shot to his throat as his lungs burned. He hadn't needed to breathe before, but he did now. Bubbles burst from his lips as he hovered in the abyss.

And then, with a low, echoing groan, the darkness below shifted. Folded. _Moved_. The darkness oozed like thick slime across the ocean, revealing dark blue behind it. It had not, as he first thought, been the ocean's floor, but rather something before him. Something that blocked out all light and was blacker than the night itself.

Light. Suddenly, two bright lights, round and jagged, frayed on the edges yet burning with an odd intensity of yellow and white. Burning directly into his soul. Eyes, he realised. They were eyes. Eyes to some colossal, titanic beast of pure darkness trapped in an ocean of inky midnight blue. Those eyes focused on him and began to move closer, and as they did, the _Drip-Drip_ in his head became louder, until it was deafening, and he could barely move.

Closer, it came. Closer.

Everything…

Everything would end…

Glass shattered.

/-/

Jaune lurched up with a startled cry, one arm flung in front of himself to ward off the beast. Except that there were no eyes, no water and he was in his apartment, covered in sweat and panting loudly. Reality crashed down with the kind of relief that could drive a man insane. Jaune laughed hysterically and slumped back.

A nightmare. Fuck's sake. Not even unexpected given the shit he was going through but trust him to freak out at one. Sheesh.

It had felt so real at the time, and he could remember the dream with odd clarity, but now that he thought about it there were things that should have told him. That was the nature of dreams, he supposed. No matter how surreal they were, you never questioned one when you were in it. Rolling onto his side, Jaune stared at the digital clock on the counter, the red lights of which informed him it was 2:15. Am, of course. It was dark out and the moon was casting red light through the window.

Wait, red light? Was there a blood moon out?

Glass shattered. This time, Jaune didn't awake, already being so, but he did flinch on his bed. So, the noise that had woken him up wasn't something he'd imagined. Was someone chucking rocks at a window or something? It was far enough away to be ignored; it wasn't even in his apartment block. With a sigh, Jaune rolled back over and closed his eyes.

Sleep did not come.

"This is what I get for going to bed at seven," Jaune sighed, pulling himself up and over to the little kitchen. Five hours til midnight and then two, so he'd gotten a good seven hours sleep – as much as he usually did. Little wonder he couldn't get back to sleep now. "This is going to be a pain with my internal clock."

At least it was the weekend. He could stay up late tonight, set an alarm for early Sunday and get everything back on track. Now, though, he wasn't going to be getting any sleep. Clicking the electric kettle on, Jaune brought out a mug and spooned a generous heap of instant coffee into it. Though his Mom would pull a face, he also dashed some milk into the beans and dumped some sugar on top, making a squidgy brown mess in the bottom of the cup.

For all that he'd woken up poorly, he _did_ feel a little better. Rested, calm, and there were no shadows playing in the corners of the room to twist his mind in one way or another. It was quiet out, other than the previous glass and a dog barking somewhere off in the distance. There weren't even many cars out, just the occasional quiet hum of someone slowly driving by.

The kettle hissed, and he poured boiling water into his coffee-mess, mixed it with a spoon and then took a drink with the spoon still in, brushing up his cheek. It was strong and boiling hot, but it woke him up instantly. Drinking a little more, he eyed his desk warily. There wasn't much to do but get ahead on homework.

He was halfway across his little apartment when something banged against his door. It wasn't a knock, not even close, but a full-bodied collision. The door shook and bucked inward a little. If anything, it sounded like someone had _walked_ into it.

"Did someone come back drunk and get the wrong apartment?"

Whoever it was rammed against his door again, and Jaune took a step towards it, only to pause as a new sound reached his ears – scrabbling. Someone – or something – was clawing at his door. It was fast-paced. Not like someone running a nail down it, but more like an animal trying to get in. The little pants he heard reinforced the thought.

Had a stray dog come along? Come to think of it, he'd heard something like this the night before and dismissed it as a neighbour's dog scratching on his door.

This felt a lot bigger than that. The entire door was shaking with each blow, and it was only the lock and the deadbolt keeping everything together. Whatever it was out there, it wanted to come inside. And Jaune wasn't sure he wanted it to. What if it was the same wild animal he'd seen in the park?

"Police," Jaune decided, hurrying for his cell.

Before he got there, a solid _thunk_ hit his door. A meaty, wooden sound like an axe being driven into wood. The scrabbling stopped instantly, replaced with silence. The animal, whatever it was, was gone now.

 _Am I imagining this, too? Is this a dream?_

Cautiously, Jaune made his way to the door, prepared to jump back at the first impact. Nothing came, and he reached it a second later, peeking through the tiny pin-hole of glass. There was someone outside, a dark shape but obviously human. They were stood in front of his door, but not knocking on it or paying attention. In fact, they were looking off to the side. They must have been the ones to scare off the animal.

Unlocking the door but keeping the chain on so that it couldn't open all the way, Jaune pulled the door ajar just a little and peeked out from inside. The moment he did, the figure noticed, hearing the woodwork creak.

It was Blake, stood in front of his door with one hand in her pocket and the other wafting away black smoke that coalesced around her ankles like smog. It wasn't cigarette smoke – too dark for it – more like the black smoke one got from a particularly large inferno. There was no fire whatsoever.

"Blake…?"

"Hn." She grunted and looked through the crack in the door at him. Her face was as unresponsive as ever, but tonight of all nights there seemed to be a _pinched_ quality to it. She obviously wasn't in the best of moods. "What is it?" she asked, fumbling for a cigarette, as if she had the right to ask being the one directly outside his door.

"Did you scare it off?"

Blake stilled. Her hand, gripping a cigarette between two fingers, froze halfway to her lips. "Scare what off…?"

"I don't know. I thought I heard a noise."

She relaxed, though only a little. The cigarette came up and she brought a lighter to her lips. "Probably me. Sorry."

It hadn't been her, Jaune knew. His eyes remained fixed on her, more specifically her eyes. They still glowing in the low light an intense yellow. She'd always been unapproachable, but tonight more than ever before, she looked wild. Even feral.

"W-Well, okay. I guess I'll get back to bed." He closed the door.

Blake stuck a foot in, preventing it. "Wait a sec." She took a puff and let a little smoke slip past the corner of her lips. That done, she fixed her attention on him. "You seem bothered by something. You're staring at me. Something the matter?"

"No." Jaune's attention flitted to her eyes and away. "It's nothing. Just late, you know."

"My eyes. Do you… see them?"

 _Drip-Drip_

"Y-Yeah. Of course. Who can't?" Jaune tried to ease the door shut, applying more force to make her take her foot back. She didn't.

"What colour are my eyes?"

Jaune hesitated for half a second. "Yellow?"

Blake moved. Her shoulder hit the door, knocking him back. Jaune fell and hit his head on the wall with a dull crack. She had one foot and a leg inside, but the door was staying shut, sealed by the little chain that she was even now trying to reach for. She was going to break into his apartment. And then what? Nothing good, he was sure.

Jaune surged to his feet. He crashed into the door, pushing her back and earning a loud curse as he trapped her elbow between the door and the frame. Her arm retracted but her foot didn't. He kicked at it wildly, stamped and trod to try and get her out, all the while he slammed his weight against it.

He had no idea why – why she wanted in – but he knew it was bad. She was like the other girl, Yang's sister, she had to be. He wasn't supposed to notice her eyes. But he _always_ had. Her eyes had _always_ been yellow, just a darker, more amber shade before. It didn't matter. He'd always known she was dangerous. This proved it.

"Get out!" Jaune roared, giving the door – and her foot – one final push. Strong as she may have been, he was bigger and heavier. The door slammed shut and Jaune forced the deadbolt back in. Not a moment too soon, for the door _rocked_ as Blake threw her weight against it, trying to force it down. It held. Solid construction beat a teenage girl.

Jaune was already moving away. He snatched up his cell, dialled 911 and hit the call button.

Nothing.

"No signal?" he realised, checking the bar at the top. "Now of all fucking times!?"

There was no banging at the door now. Jaune bit his lip as he watched the signal bar, waiting for something – any movement. There was none. He'd never had a problem with Signal in Vale. This was Massachusetts for Christ's sake. Sure, AT&T might have been the devil, but they could at least manage to keep a signal here. He moved to the balcony window in the hopes it would help. As he did, he heard a sliding window open in the apartment next to his.

Blake was in her apartment, going onto her balcony. She was going to jump across and come through his.

"Shit!" Dragging the curtains closed, so she couldn't see inside, Jaune dashed back to the front door, pulling his shoes on as he did. He barely had the time to slam the bolt open before he heard a fist pound on his balcony door. Being mostly glass, it would shatter if she put any oomph into it. Grabbing his keys, Jaune managed to get the door open right as glass shattered. He didn't even bother to lock the door behind him.

He ran.

Across the landing, down the stairs – over the low wall and out onto the street. There was no destination in mind, only the knowledge he had to get away from here. His feet took him on a familiar path as if by instinct and he rounded a corner quickly. Even so, he didn't stop running.

Still no signal. Just his luck. Jaune pushed his cell into his pocket and looked ahead. He'd been right earlier, there was a blood moon out. The sky was bathed in scarlet, though the few people out and about didn't seem to care. A few pointed and took pictures, but for the most part it was business as usual.

The police station had to be the choice at this point. If he couldn't make the call, he'd get there in person. With his window broken and signs of forced entry obvious, he'd be able to point them at Blake. No one could say he'd imagined this one. Slowing to a jog, Jaune picked his way down the streets towards the closest precinct, which just so happened to be the one he'd been to before when he reported the body and that wild monster-beast.

 _Drip-Drip_

Jaune rounded the next corner and froze. There was one of the shadows – still misty, but somehow darker, more real – up ahead. It was passing through two pedestrians and neither it nor they seemed to notice the other. It had the vague shape of some equestrian creature, about the size of a man with four legs and an elongated neck protruding forward. It was the eyes he noticed, however. Glowing pinpricks of bright yellow light – no eyes themselves, just the glowing light.

The shadow froze as he did. Its head swerved from left to right, as if it had just sensed something. Jaune's heart beat a little faster when it looked towards him. Those burning fires it called eyes seemed to brighten and it moved in his direction.

 _Drip-Drip_

Jaune took a step back. He looked to the two other people on the street, but they were talking with one another, paying no attention whatsoever to what was beside them. Couldn't they _see_ what was in front of them? Passing _through_ their bodies at that very moment?

The more he looked at it, all the while backing away, the more _real_ it became. Black skin, no fur, plates like bone or ceramic that spread across its chest and down its forelegs, forming armour on its front end. There was a _wicked_ spike on its forehead, leaving it looking like some twisted goth fantasy of a unicorn from hell. It whinnied and paced its hoof against the ground, pawing at the tarmac as it stared hungrily at Jaune.

He didn't wait for it to charge. Spinning on his heel, he was already running.

The hoofbeats behind told him it was in pursuit. He glanced back and gasped, seeing it cover the distance, running down the centre of the sidewalk. Several people ahead looked Jaune's way as he approached but didn't show the required shock for what was chasing him.

"Out of the way!" Jaune yelled. "Get out the way!"

"Hey!"

"Whoa!"

"What the fuck, man!?"

They parted before he hit them and hurled insults his way. One strayed into the path of the rampaging beast, Jaune noticed, but the still half-mist, half-creature, ran through him. Was that what it was, another hallucination? Jaune wasn't sure he dared test it. It looked real to him. Too real. And it was closing. The thing was faster in a straight line than he was. He could hear it bearing down on him.

A sudden left, into an alleyway. The beast hurtled by with an angry snort, dug its hooves in and _stumbled_. It crashed into a car parked at the side of the road, and _this time_ it actually made contact with it instead of phasing through. There was a horrifying _crash_ as the car's windows shattered and its door caved in. The alarm blared angrily, and orange lights flashed. The monster was still alive, though. It stood with a snort, staggered a little, and then began to lope after him once more, into the alleyway.

Twists and turns. That was how he would beat it. It was just like a horse, impossible to outrun, but not as manoeuvrable as he could be. Jaune took a left and then a right, weaving through the thin alley and out onto another street. The beat of hooves behind told him he had no time. With a panicked cry, he dashed across the street – grateful for the lack of cars to run him down. One honked anyway, even if it came nowhere close to hitting him.

"Fucking psycho!" the driver yelled out the window.

The equine monster _slammed_ into the car's front a second later. The car was sent spinning off the road with an almighty crash. Someone screamed at the carnage. Jaune half-turned, staggering backwards as he watched the carnage. Was that man dead? Had he… Had he just caused the _death_ of a man? Oh no… Oh, hell no…

He wanted to go back, but the monster was pulling itself out of the wreckage, ignorant of the blaring horn that wouldn't stop, or the fate of the driver. It shook its body to shake off metallic parts and focused on Jaune once more. That drove him to finally move, abandoning the poor man he'd consigned to his fate as he ducked into another alley.

He couldn't keep the pace up. Already, his muscles were burning and his breath coming out in harsh pants. Fear mixed with adrenaline had him sweating from every pore on his body and his pace had slowed, his body having no more to give. On the next turn, Jaune had to place a hand on a wall and push himself along. It was the only way to keep up. His breath was misting before his face. He felt sick.

 _I can't outrun it. I need to lose it. Need to hide._

In the distance, a wolf howled.

A wolf, out here? And yet it was definitely no dog that made such a sound. As Jaune came out onto the next street, his eyes darted to the right. There, a good hundred metres away but now looking in his direction, was another of the shadow-creatures. It was a mass of dark mist with yellow eyes glowing for a second, but it quickly became solid, corporeal, forming a near-replica of the monster he'd seen in the park. Half-man, half-wolf, all black flesh, ceramic plates and now bright red eyes. It howled and bounded after him, joining the chase.

"F-Fuck. Not now." Hoofbeats behind him, too. There were two of them now. "No, no, no."

He was already out of steam and the wolf-thing was anything but. And he'd _seen_ that it could tear a man to pieces. Tears leaked from Jaune's eyes as he staggered away. Fight or flight? Both seemed futile at the moment. His only hope was to lose them somehow.

Rounding the next corner, Jaune found himself in front of Eastfield High. Whether he'd instinctively run that way or been herded, it was hard to tell, but it was an opportunity at the very least. He could lose them in the hallways or hide in a classroom. Better still, Eastfield had a wrought-iron fence around the perimeter of its playing field. It wasn't hard to climb over or through, but that wasn't the point of it. It was to prevent any vehicles accidentally spinning out into the students. Either way, the gaps between the bars were far too small for the monsters chasing him.

Jaune squeezed through not a moment too soon. The wolf hit the fence with a snarl, bending the bars inwards and catching Jaune's back, sending him flying. He landed hard on the grass and rolled a few times, coming to a halt face-down, panting into the grass. His entire body was shaking, both from exertion and fear.

"I-I made it? I made it…"

Another loud growl – another dent. The wolf was hurling itself into the iron bars with reckless abandon. The monster unicorn had joined it but was even less adept at getting through. It had poked its narrow head through, but its shoulders were too broad. It got caught but didn't seem intelligent enough to figure out why. It just kept straining to reach him, snorting angrily and trying to force itself through.

"Have to keep moving," Jaune panted, forcing himself up. His body screamed at him to stay still. Everything was a mass of pain. He didn't think the fence would hold them forever, though. The wolf was already causing the metal to bend, some inward, some to the side, and sooner or later it would knock it down entirely. The school would provide more obstacles. Doors that could be locked, doorways too narrow for them to fit through, places to hide.

His cell was still dead. Not broken, just not finding any signal – nothing whatsoever. There had to be something going on there. He'd never failed to have signal at school before. There'd be a landline inside, though, either at the receptionist's desk or anyone's office. He just had to find one and call the police. They could deal with this. They had to be able to.

A loud crash of twisted metal reached Jaune's ears before he even made it off the track field. A victorious howl followed and Jaune broke into a sprint once more, cursing the whole time. That hadn't bought him much time! He looked back and saw both crossing the field towards him.

The moment of inattention cost him. At the point where the field gave way to flagstones, his toes caught the lip and sent him careening forward. Jaune got his hands up in time to break his fall, but his palms slammed into the stone, grazing slightly as he slid along and came to a stop. He tried to stand, but his shoulder flared angrily and gave way, pitching him onto his side.

"Shit!"

The wolf-monster behind him howled. It knew it had its prey now. Jaune rolled over, some instinctive desire to _see_ his for head-on. The monster was on all fours but, seeing its foe prone, bunched down and _pounced_ towards him, claws extended.

Jaune closed his eyes and grit his teeth.

There was a sound, something close to a crack of lightning, and then a smell like ozone – before hot mist _wafted_ over him, knocking him back. When death didn't come a second later, Jaune opened his eyes. The wolf was nowhere to be seen.

The Unicorn was still there, however, and charged directly at him. This time, Jaune watched as it cleared the grass and mounted the flagstones – at which point it _crashed_ into something invisible and twitched once. Lightning crackled out of nowhere, across its body, burning its flesh, armoured plates and skeleton down to ash in a fraction of a second. The monster didn't even have the time to make a sound before it exploded into thick, black mist, which thanks to its momentum slammed into and through Jaune.

Gone. Just like that. Both of the monsters were gone…

He wasn't sure if it was the relief, adrenaline or fatigue but his arms gave way entirely and he fell back, laid flat out on the flagstones with his eyes pointed up at the red sky. That jagged scar from the afternoon before was still there, looking as ominous as it ever had. The night air was unnaturally warm, though that might have just been him.

He was alive.

He had no idea how.

Heels clicked on the stone nearby, slowly at first, but they sped up upon seeing him. A shadow crossed over him as someone knelt and placed an arm under his neck and shoulders, propping him up. A familiar face filled his vision. He'd thought her beautiful before, but right now, in this situation, he'd never been more pleased to see her.

 _Drip-Drip_

"H-Hey, M-Miss Farleigh."

"Jaune? What are you doing here?"

"Running…" His eyes trailed to where the monsters had been. "Escaping…"

"Escaping? What fro- You can see them, can't you?" Rebecca's eyes widened for a second, before they closed. She let out a quiet sigh. "Oh, Jaune. You're the last person I would have wanted to get wrapped up in this mess. And on the cusp of a Nightmare, too. You'd best get on your feet and inside." She stood and extended a hand towards him. Her grip was strong, far stronger than would have been expected of someone so slight.

"What's going on, Miss Farleigh?"

"Nothing good, Jaune. Nothing right." She sighed again. "I'll explain once we're inside. But for now, let me be the first to welcome you to the Waking World. Though if I had my way, you would have remained a Dreamer."

"Waking? Dreamer…?"

"Not here. Inside. There is much you need to know."

 _Drip-Drip_

* * *

 **But you won't be knowing it until next chapter. Sorry. Thanks again to Z-ComiX for the awesome cover art. Kind of a Darkest Dungeon style of art that fits this well. Jaune's had a rough start to the weekend. Let's hope things go a little better for him. I'm actually aiming for shorter chapters than usual with this story. When I'm trying to meet some imaginary word count, it sometimes feels like I'm padding things out for the sake of it. This sort of length feels better. Lets me keep the pace a little quicker, and sprinkle one or two key events into each chapter.**

 **Oh, and unless it hasn't been made clear from the differences between canon and such, this is the real world. That means no faunus, no Semblances, no aura, etc. Unless any are later established through action or explanation, assume people are baseline humans.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 14** **th** **October**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	4. Chapter 4

**So, I probably shouldn't need to say this, but I shall. No, this story is not some "dig" at America. I know a lot of people over there are in a not so ideal situation at the moment, politically or otherwise, but there's no need to get offended at me having Jaune think something about his home.**

 **Case in point, the drug mention last chapter. Recreational drugs tend to exist wherever there is a customer base for them, which tends to be first-world countries, seeing as they have the disposable income to get high for no other benefit than enjoyment (drug fraud for fake pharmaceutical drugs, on the other hand, is more common in poorer countries). Mass also has legalised Cannabis, and the US – like it or not - has its Opium issue, so Jaune saying that drugs could be found in a High School was a reference to that.**

 **And I bet just about every High School** _ **does**_ **have drugs in it somewhere. US, UK, France or just about anywhere else. It's not a dig at the US to say that. As for guns, well, what do you want me to say? The US** _ **does**_ **have more guns per head than any other country in the world. That's not hyperbole or satire from me. It's just a fact. Jaune saying something like, "This is the US, so guns are pretty easy to find" is not a dig. It's the truth.**

 **I don't care enough to make digs at other countries or people, because why would I? What would I get by insulting another country? Would it entertain me? Would it benefit me in some way? Not really. I have my thoughts about the US, but they're neither here, there, nor relevant in this story. Vale isn't even a real city.**

 **There are things I** _ **need**_ **this to be based in the US for, but that's not for the sake of insulting the country. I need characters to have access to guns, none-free healthcare, well-armed police, bigger weather (i.e. hurricanes and such), fervent religion, first-world status, and a bunch of other things. Most of the things I need just don't exist in the UK. If I wanted Ruby to be throwing** _ **acid**_ **on Grimm, then maybe I could have set it in London.**

 **But that's not very heroic…**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 4**

* * *

It was dark in Eastfield, with most of the lights off and the corridors covered in gloom. There was enough light to see by, but the darkness at the ends of the corridors frightened him. Miss Farleigh noticed and, still supporting him with one arm, clicked her tongue softly.

"There's no need to worry. I have a barrier up around the school. They won't be able to get close, let alone inside."

"Barrier…?"

"You saw it, didn't you? I sensed its activation. It wouldn't have hurt a normal person, but _they_ would have been killed."

"I saw it. I just didn't know…" He sighed. "None of this makes sense."

"No, I suppose it wouldn't."

"We need to call the police."

"They won't be able to help, Jaune. I'm not sure if you noticed or not, but most people can't perceive those things. They can neither see nor feel them. To the average person, the Grimm may as well not exist."

"Grimm…?"

"It's what we call them – we being those who can witness the creatures. They're named after the fairy tales. You know, the Brothers Grimm. I guess the reasons why don't matter. No one knows what they actually are, of course. It's just a name we've chosen to give them."

Grimm? Able to see? Barrier?

"Miss Farleigh, what's going on here?"

"Rebecca," she chastised. "I think in a situation like this, you can call me by my name. As for what… well, you noticed the scarring in the sky, correct?"

"Hard to miss it."

"Not as hard as you'd think. Most people can't see it. I'd go so far as to say ninety-nine per cent of people can't see it. We're the unlucky one per cent." She eyed him seriously. "Tell me, Jaune, do you believe in monsters?"

"Hard not to with what I've just seen."

"There's your problem. Our problem. The Grimm can't be seen by most people because they don't believe in them. Without belief, they're not real. They can't interact or interfere in our world and are nothing more than phantasms."

"You're telling me this is some kind of Peter Pan `believe I can fly` nonsense?"

"I'm telling you only what I know." Rebecca paused before the cafeteria and brought them inside. It was dark and empty, but the tables and chairs were all arrayed as usual, albeit with the chairs atop the tables so the floor could be mopped. "Here," she said, pushing him to lean on one as she cleared the chairs off it, one for each of them. "We can sit and talk here. You're unsteady on your feet as it is."

More from fatigue than anything else, Jaune slumped into the plastic seat. "Yeah, I guess I am. I just… I can't believe what just happened."

"You can," she pressed, leaning forward. "If you couldn't, you wouldn't be in this situation. Do you remember when I told you of how I looked into the supernatural when I was younger? I didn't lie there, but I did lie when I said I grew out of it. I didn't grow, Jaune. I survived. They're real."

"Who are _they_?"

"Like I said, we call them the Grimm."

"Who is we?"

"Those of us like you and me. We're not common, far from it, and we're few and far between, but every now and then there's someone who discovers the Grimm and lives to tell the tale. I was helped by one when I was younger. He's the one who told me about things like Grimm, the Nightmares and everything else I know."

"Take tonight for instance," she said, gesturing to a window. "You saw the crack. It won't be there tomorrow, and it might not come back for a while. It only shows up on nights like this – Nightmares. A Nightmare is the moment when the boundary between our world and theirs weakens. Or, as you noticed, cracks entirely. It's when they're more active. More aggressive."

It was too much. Too many questions and too many things at once. Jaune tried to make sense of it and failed. "I don't understand."

Rebecca sighed. "Right. I'll try to lay it out simply. Keep in mind, none of this is known fact. It's just what we've been able to find out. They may not be called Grimm – we call them that. And Nightmare is just a term _we_ use. Nothing more. This is guesswork based on what we've seen and experienced, but it should be enough for you to understand the basics."

Jaune nodded and listened.

"There is a… dimension, for lack of a better term, that runs alongside our own. Maybe it's another world, alternate reality or something else. We don't know. It's where the Grimm live, however. Whatever boundary there is between our dimensions is weak. It lets the Grimm come across and roam here, but they don't come with their bodies. Just what we're calling their souls."

"Like the shadowy monsters?"

"Yes. They're here, but not all of them. Not their physical bodies, anyway. For the most part, they can't interact with our world. They pass through people, objects and everything else like it doesn't exist. They're harmless. But… sometimes the differences between our world and theirs weakens. In those times, they can bring more of themselves across. Or maybe it's not them doing it, but it's more our world aligning with theirs. Either way, they can do more."

"Nights like this," Jaune said. "Nightmares."

"Yes. You saw the scar. That's an early warning sign of what's to come. Sometimes it can be years between nightmares, sometimes less. There doesn't seem to be rhyme or reason to it. When the Grimm _do_ become more corporeal, they start to hunt. We're not sure if they can see us or not either. We think they can't. In the same way we see them as indistinct shapes, they probably see us, too. That's why they roam without incident most nights. But when they become more _real_ , they can see people, interact with people. Hunt and kill people."

"Why, though?"

"We've no idea. Food, essence, instinct or entertainment. We simply don't know. Trying to apply human understanding to them probably isn't a good idea, though. Whether they _need_ to do this to live or do it for some other reason, it's not going to stop us hating them for it."

"I… I guess not. I just wanted to understand."

She laughed. "You and every other Awakened out there."

"Awakened. What's that?"

"Patience. So, you have the Grimm unable to interact with humans even as they cross half their body, soul or whatever into our world. If it were just the occasional killing on a Nightmare, the world wouldn't notice. The problem is, whatever is allowing the Grimm to cross into our world, some people on our side have started to gain the same ability."

"Dimensionsl travellers?"

"Not as Sci-Fi would have you believe it," Rebecca teased. "It's hard to explain, but… you and I, we both quality for this. Again, it's a theory but the Grimm can't see the average person – or vice versa – because the Grimm have only sent an intangible part of their presence into our world. How then, are there some like us who can both see, interact and be seen by the Grimm?"

If the question were asked at any other time, he'd have had no answer, but she had as good as given it to him already. "Because we're doing the same in reverse?"

"That's the leading theory. Some of us have started to send a piece of ourselves into their world. It's almost certainly subconscious, and probably unwillingly, too. The weakened boundary must be _pulling_ us across. Whatever the case, we're not _leaving_ our world, but a part of us – a small part of our minds or souls – exists in _their_ world. And as such, because we are partly in both worlds like they are, we meet."

"And because we meet, they can perceive us. And we can see them."

"Exactly. Taking the theme I mentioned earlier where nights like this are called `Nightmares`, we call the world – our world – in which no one ever sees or has to experience these monsters `The Dream`. Those who live peacefully within it, `Dreamers`."

"And those who don't, people like you and I, are Awakened," Jaune finished. "We've come out of the Dream. Except… the Nightmares are still real."

"It's not a perfect analogy," Rebecca allowed, "but I guess someone needed something to call all this. The names stuck, even if they don't make perfect sense."

None of this made sense, but… arguing over the words used wouldn't change anything. Like she'd said, they were just words picked so people would have something to call it. There didn't seem to be any real connotations to sleep.

Still, part of my body or soul was in another world? I shivered at the thought. What was I supposed to feel about that? Was my other self in danger? Was _I_ in danger? Would I suddenly keel over dead because the small fragment of me was killed?

 _Drip-Drip_

No. That was stupid. Miss- Rebecca – was in the same situation I was and had been for years. If her other self wasn't dead, then mine wasn't likely to follow. Not just like that. "You said something earlier about belief. What was that about?"

"That's how someone Awakens. There is something of a… barrier in the human mind, I suppose you could say. A protection. Our world is very set in its ways and people know what is real and what isn't. Or they think they know. Ironically, that stubborn attitude really does help them. Their minds are so ingrained to deny the existence of what isn't real, that their souls simply _cannot_ pass through the boundary. They limit themselves by believing they cannot do certain things. And that limitation keeps them safe. Keeps them in the Dream."

"The problem is when someone starts to doubt," she continued. "Or when something _makes_ them doubt. Proof that makes them question what is real and what is not. This can shake the foundations of a person's world, allow them to consider other things." Her expression darkened. "See. Other things. It opens their minds, and opens their souls, too. To danger, among other things. We call events like this Awakenings. Tell me, Jaune. What happened to make you Awaken?"

Fear raced through Jaune's body as the memory came back. "I saw a Grimm kill – no, eating – someone. I saw the man's body. His decapitated head. And then I saw _it_."

Rebecca's eyes closed. "Describe it."

"It… I thought it was a dog at first." He laughed at the absurd thought. "I thought it was a big dog, and then a wolf – and maybe even a bear. But I knew they couldn't be in Vale, nor that they could have torn a man limb from limb like that. It was impossible. The thing, the Grimm, started to grow before my eyes. Bigger and stronger, more… unnatural."

"That was you breaking beyond your mental blocks," Rebecca explained. "Your mind attempted to rationalise what it saw and convince you it was just a wild animal. If you had believed that, you may have been safe. You'd have run, but to the Grimm you would have been a vague flash of shape and colour. It would not have chased. You would have later convinced yourself it was just a bad encounter with a feral dog, wolf or something else."

"But I didn't." Jaune groaned. "I convinced myself it was something more."

"And it was. And you saw it. You Awakened."

"So, if I hadn't gone for a jog that night…"

"You'd be safe now. Yes."

There was no stopping the anger, the frustration. The difference of a route, ten minutes or even just feeling lazy that night. Any of those would have prevented this. Instead, he was here now having fled for his life, and with monsters all across the city out for him. Jaune's head fell into his hands.

"I know it's hard," Rebecca said and placed a hand on his back. "This is a life I've been living for over ten years now. I learned to fight back the Grimm. To survive."

"I can't fight," Jaune said.

"I couldn't at first."

"No, you don't get it. I don't know anything about the supernatural like you did. I don't know anything about fighting. I can't even stand up to Cardin. What am I supposed to do here?" His head rose. He stared his teacher in the eye. "Please, there has to be some way to reverse this. Tell me there's a way."

"There…" Her face fell. "There might…"

"Please, tell me!"

"It's not without risk," she said quickly. "Jaune, you have to understand that a part of you has crossed over into their world. That may not be intentional, but it's still a part of you. It might be possible for me to forcefully pull that back into your body, but it would be dangerous."

"More dangerous than certain death at the hands of the Grimm?"

"Well, no. I suppose not. You would be at some risk, but no more than you would be left helpless against the Grimm. That is the fate of most Awakened, hunted down and killed within days of Awakening – if the event itself does not kill them first." Rebecca stood. "Come on. If we're going to do this, we may as well do it in my office. It'll be easier to hide the evidence come Monday."

/-/

They went predictably unchallenged to Rebecca's office. Jaune knew the way and had visited it many times after his bullying incidents. It was odd to think how she'd been looking after him in school and was now doing the same with eldritch monsters. Maybe that was connected, and she was just someone who didn't like leaving others in danger, mundane or not.

Rebecca strode into her office and pulled the blinds shut. "No need to invite witnesses," she said. "The last thing I want is _more_ people Awakening because they see what we're doing here. It's the responsibility of people like us to minimise the chances of others facing the same. Move my desk aside, won't you? I need the floor space."

Jaune hurried to do as asked, pushing her wooden desk along the floor. It wasn't all that heavy. He cleared the chairs and potted plants as well, lining them up by the back wall.

"What are we going to do?"

"A ritual of sorts. Or a sealing." Rebecca brought out a largeish hunk of chalk and started to sketch a circle on the floor. "I told you I dabbled in the occult a while back. Well, one of the first things I did – how I awakened, in fact – was that I tried to summon a monster to take revenge on my bullies."

Just like he'd imagined doing, albeit not seriously. Jaune cringed and watched as she expertly marked odd shapes and patterns on the floor. They were intricate and clearly not random, even if he couldn't understand what they were. They almost seemed to pulse on the floor.

 _Drip-Drip_

"Suffice to say, when I was _successful_ , I Awakened immediately. I would have died there, Jaune, but for one lucky break. Believing what I read, I'd drawn a protective circle on the floor so that whatever `demon` I summoned could not escape." She paused to send a grin my way. "It worked."

"And that protected you?"

"It did. What's more, it let me survive. I'm not much of a fighter. Never have been. But once I banished the demon and realised more were coming – before I even knew they were called Grimm – I sketched another circle around my bedroom, and later my house. It became my way to fight back and protect myself, creating barriers to keep the Grimm away. Like the one you witnessed downstairs."

"Why put one on a school?"

"Responsibility, I suppose. I have one at home but there is something about children – and I include teenagers in this – which makes them more likely to Awaken. Perhaps it's because they aren't yet set in their ways. They're more likely to dream and believe in the supernatural, which lets the Grimm in. Either way, the number of adults who Awaken is exceptionally low. It's almost always the younger generation. Knowing that someone in Vale might trigger, I placed a Barrier at the only place I could think they might run to. It was a long shot, I know. But if it could save even a single life…"

"It saved mine."

She smiled, then. "Yes. I suppose it did. As for why _I'm_ here now, it's the Nightmare. Chalk doesn't last forever and if someone was going to be in danger, it would be during a Nightmare more than any other time."

"That makes sense." At least with what he had. "So, you were acting as a guard for the school? Were you looking for people who might Awaken, so you could tell them everything you're telling me now?"

"Not specifically. I just needed a job." She laughed. "Being an Awakened is about survival. It's not really a career. I still have rent, bills and food to pay for." She stood and clapped her hands together. "There. It's done. Step into the ring in the centre and take a seat. Sit, kneel, whatever. So long as you're comfortable. But _don't_ smudge any of the lines," she quickly said.

He hadn't needed to be told that. Carefully, he picked his way over the symbols and shapes – _Drip-Drip_ – and made his way to the centre. It was a ring of chalk about two metres in diameter. He could have laid in it but chose instead to sit with his legs to the side.

"What is this thing going to do?"

"It's going to act as a beacon of sorts, drawing in the missing part of your soul. That's why you're in the centre, so it can't escape and only has one place to go." She walked about the room, lighting some candles. The electricity must have still been working, but then someone might react to seeing all the lights on in a closed school. "There's a little more that needs to be done. A way to call out to what's missing."

Jaune watched her. "Meaning?"

"A little blood," she said, and produced a thin knife. Jaune recoiled but Rebecca laughed and flipped it, catching it by the blade and holding the handle out. "It doesn't need to be me drawing it and we only need a little. A few drops."

"Why blood?"

"Because it contains the essence of your body and soul. Think of it as identification, in the same way someone can read your blood in a hospital, this array will read yours and make sure the only thing coming in is something with the same signature. Don't look for logic in this, Jaune. You've already seen that nothing about this makes sense. It is, for lack of a better term, magic."

"Magic." Jaune stared at the knife. It was just a regular old kitchen knife, but a sharp one. He wasn't squeamish, but the thought of cutting himself with this wasn't an appealing one. "You're sure it has to be blood?"

"Unless you want just about _anything_ in their world coming through for your body, yes. A tiny cut. Not a wound, not an artery, just cut your finger. I'd give you more time, Jaune, but this has to be done tonight. It will only work on the eve of a Nightmare, where the boundary is already cracked. We could try again next time, but that might be months and you would need to survive until then. More Grimm come out at these times, but they still exist and roam Vale the rest of the time as well."

In the end, it was her smile which convinced him. The same one she offered whenever she brought him to her office and looked after him. He couldn't last like this. He was already being driven insane, and he was sure those people were after him _because_ of what he was. With a shuddering breath, Jaune brought the knife down and pressed his finger against it. It took a combination of drawing it over his skin and pushing his finger up, but he winced and pulled back, a few droplets on the end of the digit.

"Perfect. Let them drop anywhere in the circle you're in. But again, not on the chalk."

"How much?"

"As much as you can. Just let your hand touch the floor. It'll be enough."

The moment he did so, Jaune felt something shift. It was hard to place. It wasn't like a weight settling on his shoulders, but something close. His chest felt like something was pushing down on it, making it a little more difficult to move.

 _Drip-Drip_

Rebecca stepped into the array and knelt behind him, catching his shoulders so he wouldn't fall. She gently pried the knife from his hand. "Relax. If you can feel the pull, that's the array doing its job. Your soul is split between two words. It's natural you feel stretched. It's normal. Relax."

The words, her voice, lulled him into calm. He could feel the pressure still, and breathing was difficult, but he wasn't suffocating. Jaune leaned back into her. He'd have never done so normally, but she was right there, and he was exhausted.

"You know, I never knew why you didn't just fight back against him," Rebecca said.

Sleepily, Jaune asked, "Who?"

"Cardin. We both know he's the one leading the bullying against you."

"Can't."

"Why not? Because he's too strong?"

"No. Trouble. Get expelled." He tried to phrase the words properly, but his head felt heavy. "No tolerance. Would stop bullying, but I'd be… worse trouble."

"Afraid of the teachers, then."

Of failing, really, but it was close enough. Jaune nodded.

Rebecca Farleigh sighed. "I can understand that, at least. I didn't lie in my office, you know. You're not unfit. You're not unattractive. You could have worked out, improved yourself, changed. The biggest person holding you back is you."

Jaune opened his mouth. A gasp came out. His body was cold and, he realised, wet. He glanced down and noticed that he was now sitting in what appeared to be a puddle. For a moment, he thought he'd lost control of his bladder, but it was cold. More than that, it carried an odd scent. Was that… the ocean? The floor of Rebecca's office was wet now, but despite that the chalk didn't smudge.

 _Drip-Drip_

"It's working," she whispered, breath warm on his ear. "Some of that world is coming through. And with it, a soul."

"M-My soul?"

"Of course. I know what I'm doing. Look at me, Jaune. Focus on me." She placed a hand on his cheek and pulled his face so that he was looking to her. Her face was incredibly close to his. "You're fortunate you found me, especially before those fools could take you. Or the Grimm."

"Who…?"

"It doesn't matter. Focus on me, Jaune. Only me."

"I feel cold," he whispered. "Like I'm drowning."

"You're not. Don't look!" She gripped his cheek harder. "Remember what I said. To see is to believe. To believe is to open your mind, leave yourself without defence. We are drawing your soul back from their realm. Do not look into it or you may cast yourself there instead."

 _Drip-Drip_

It made sense. Sort of. But the feeling of water over his legs and hands could not be ignored. He felt as if he were submerged already, sat in a shallow pool that reaching up to his stomach and only seemed to be creeping higher and higher.

 _Drip-Drip_

"Focus on me," Rebecca whispered. Her eyes were almost hypnotic. She smiled. "If it helps, focus on my face." She pushed forward without warning. "Or my lips."

Shock, awe, and then something unbearably soft. Jaune barely had a second to process his surprise before his eyes were drifting shut, all thoughts of anything other than her stolen away. Rebecca Farleigh, his teacher, was kissing him. It was wrong. It was probably against the rules. It was sinfully delicious, and he could not pull away.

Her lips parted. Her tongue darted out. It traced a hot pattern on his lower lip and he opened his mouth both to accept it and to gasp. Her face pushed closer, arms slipping around behind him as she stole his breath away.

It felt like he was melting into her. Or just melting.

"That's it," she whispered, parting but a fraction of an inch, only enough to whisper her words directly against his lips. "Let go. Think only of me."

"Your eyes…" Jaune whispered.

Rebecca smiled. "Yes?"

 _Drip-Drip_

"They're… glowing… yellow…"

 _Drip-Drip_

She looked surprised, though only for a second. "Ignore it," she said, leaning in once more.

The door slammed open. The sudden crash of wood slamming back against the wall _banged_ through the room, before something – someone – hurtled in. Rebecca's eyes widened as she looked past his shoulder and tensed, pulling back.

And then the loudest sound Jaune had _ever_ heard. A _crack_ so sudden it jolted his body and snapped him out of his stupor. Rebecca's head jerked back, blood splashing out from a hole in the centre of her forehead. She fell back, away from him.

He stared at her body, uncomprehending.

"Oi!" a girlish voice yelled. "Snap out of it!"

Jaune flinched. He looked back, back to the door, where a girl – _the girl –_ stood. Red hoodie, black jeans and white trainers. She also had a gun. A gun pointed directly at him. Or which had been pointed at Rebecca.

There was fear. Of course there was. But there was a certain disconnect, shock, that had him speak the obvious instead of run. "You killed her."

"Yeah. Duh. Why are you complaining about that?" The girl's eyes met mine. Still silver, still unnatural, but not glowing. "Wait, you didn't even realise? Look down! Look at what's happening to you!"

Look? He was sat in the centre of the chalk circle still, but Jaune flinched when he noticed that the water had been building up. He hadn't imagined it. He was in what looked to be a foot and a half of murky ocean water which didn't spread to the corners of the room. It didn't leave the circle at all. Wisps of pink floated about it, likely his blood.

 _Drip-Drip_

What was worse, the water felt… thick. Clinging. Jaune tried to push away from the girl with the gun, but it was like trying to move through thick syrup. He dragged one hand out of the water.

The water followed. It moved with him, reaching out, clinging onto his wrist, wrapping around it. Like rope made of water, it followed and kept hold of him – and it was trying to pull him back in. The water was actively trying to _pull_ him down into it.

"W-What's going on!?" He fought against it, dragging out his other hand – with some effort – and trying to brush the water off his skin. Rather than be brushed away like droplets, it clung doggedly on. It swirled around his waist, too, trying to make him fall back. More tendrils crept out of the water, reaching up to his shoulders.

 _Drip-Drip_

They started to tug him down.

"Shit," the girl cursed. She looked around in a panic and _moved_. She was unnaturally fast, inhumanly fast. Her hand grabbed the knife Rebecca had dropped. She stabbed it down into the floor in front of a chalk symbol and _dragged_ it back across, cutting through the woodwork _and_ the symbol in one swift move.

Just like that, the water collapsed. It fell with a splash and spread out over the floor, out of the confines of the circle and down through cracks in the floor. More was absorbed into the wood itself. Just normal, natural water. The smell of the ocean, and the pressure on his chest, disappeared entirely.

He fell, but only enough for the girl to catch him by the collar of his jacket. He was soaked. "Up!" she barked, half-dragging him to his feet. She was too small for it, though, and he had to push himself up.

"What do you want from me?"

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing," she said. "Life would be easier if I didn't even know you existed in the first place, but that's not an option. Come on. Get up. Quick! Do you have any idea what just nearly happened? No, of course not." The girl was jumpy. She looked around quickly, and for the first time Jaune noticed just how _afraid_ she looked. "You nearly became one of them. You nearly brought one of them into this world."

"What?"

"You need to get out of here," she said. "Follow the beacon. Look for the lighthouse, you can't miss it. Don't stop for anything, especially not the Grimm." She pushed him with one hand towards the door. "Move! Go!"

"What's going on? Why are you sending me? What lighthouse? Who _are_ you people?"

"Someone will explain at the lighthouse. I can't, and I can't go with you. I have to stop this before it gets any worse. Before she-"

"It is rude to take that which does not belong to you." Calm and sensuous, Rebecca Farleigh rose to her feet. She brushed dust from one arm and cracked her neck to the side. The wound in the centre of her forehead bled profusely, but she ignored it. Her eyes were fixed on his still, and they glowed with yellow fire. "Even ruder to interrupt a meeting like that. And where are you going, Jaune? Didn't you want me to help you?"

"M-Miss Farleigh…"

"Gone," the girl said, stepping between him and his teacher. She had her handgun in one hand and she reached behind her back, drawing the large scythe she'd wielded before. "If she ever existed. This is what happens when one stares into the abyss. Something stares back. It's what she wanted for you, to feed your soul to another of her kind, leaving the husk behind for something to inhabit. Rebecca Farleigh – if that was ever her name – lost her soul _years_ ago."

"A capricious, desperate and all too trusting child," Rebecca agreed, though now in a somewhat deeper voice. It echoed in his head. "All she wanted was to get back at those who had wronged her. You humans can be such malicious creatures." She took a step forward. "Now, I believe you have something that belongs to me, little girl."

Jaune staggered back when she stared directly at him.

"Run," the girl said, her back still to him. "Look for the lighthouse. Go now. Don't stop."

He swallowed. "But what about you?"

"RUN!"

Jaune lunged for the door, chased by a loud gunshot and an inhuman, impossible, roar.

* * *

 **More and more! Jaune's** _ **still**_ **running and still lacking all the answers, though he's been given a lot more now. And yes, quite a few expected Miss Farleigh of being a traitor, kind of expected whenever an OC character shows up. I'd have used a canon one, but I have roles for most of them.**

 **Oh, and yeah, when I said last chapter "no inhuman abilities unless it's shown or said", and got a lot of "But Ruby did this…" she was obviously supposed to fall into the "unless shown" category. I wasn't saying that turning into rose petals or cutting a Grimm in half is normal.**

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 **Next Chapter: 21** **st** **October**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	5. Chapter 5

**Ah, here we go. Site is playing up with cover images a little, so if you can't see this one… well, not much I can do. Site will as site does.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 5**

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Run, run, run.

It was all he did lately!

Jaune hit the ground floor of Eastfield in time to hear roars from the playing field. The Barrier, or whatever it had been, was down. He leapt in the opposite direction, deeper into the city, all the while recalling those words.

Find the lighthouse.

Lighthouse, what fucking lighthouse? Vale was a metropolitan city on the edge of a reservoir. You didn't need a lighthouse when the whole city was lit up like the fourth of July. Vale didn't even have a dock. It just had an area casually known as it.

Close enough, he decided. Maybe `lighthouse` was just the name of it. Maybe it wasn't an actual lighthouse at all – though if that were the case he'd have appreciated some clearer instructions from the girl in red. An angry scream echoed from upstairs, followed by gunshots. Okay, maybe she was distracted. Fair enough.

Jaune reached the metal fence and squeezed through the bars once more, out of Eastfield grounds. There was nothing immediately on his tail, but knowing what he did, he wasn't willing to take any chances. The Grimm, if that were what they were even called, could be anywhere in the city. Most people wouldn't be able to see them, but if he stumbled on one then they'd hunt him relentlessly.

Slowing to a fast-paced walk, panting all the while, Jaune considered his options. Heading to the `docks area` was the best bet, because if someone was going to name a place the lighthouse, it would be there. Running there, however, might only make things worse. His earlier attempt with the two monsters had nearly gotten him killed. They were faster than him and didn't seem to tire, plus it was his reckless flight from the first that got him noticed by the second.

Maybe it would be safer to take things a little slower. Nothing was on his tail at the moment, so keeping things that way would be worth more than him sprinting into trouble and being too exhausted to get away.

Cell signal was still down. Jaune scowled and put his phone away. So much for Googling the place. Would have been nice to call for help, too.

Actually…

"Hey! Hey, taxi!"

A few cars rushed by, but one came to a halt, sliding up the side of the road. The window slid down, revealing a slightly Hispanic face.

"Hi," Jaune said, leaning down. "Do you know a place called the lighthouse?"

"No lighthouses in Vale."

"I know. It's a place _called_ that."

"No lighthouses in Vale," he repeated in a thick accent.

Oh, for crying out loud. "Take me to the docks then," he said, climbing in. When the man opened his mouth, Jaune interrupted, "The Water's Edge Boulevard. You know it?"

"I know it."

Once his door was shut, the cab driver pulled out onto the road once more. Traffic was low so late at night, along with pedestrians, so they made good time. Looking out the window, Jaune cringed as he spotted a shadowy inhuman shape down a side road. Worse, the cab pulled into it.

Jaune ducked low, hoping it wouldn't see him. To his relief, the taxi wasn't attacked. Did they only react on sight, or had they just been going too fast for it to spot him? A glance out the back showed the thing, bear-like in appearance, looking his way, but not moving. Perhaps it hadn't had the time to fully realise it was seeing someone it could attack. Letting out a sigh, Jaune leaned back and relaxed. His entire body was shaking badly. Either from fear or fatigue.

Little wonder the cab driver had given him an odd expression. He must have looked like he was coming down off drugs or running away from some crime. The latter was closer, though considering the raw adrenaline pumping around his body, maybe the first counted.

Fuck. He almost wanted to fall asleep on the back seat.

"You noticed anything wrong with the cell signal tonight?" Jaune asked the driver, both to get an answer and to keep himself awake. He couldn't sleep now.

The Hispanic man looked back at him in the rear-view mirror. He shrugged. "Something wrong. No signal."

"Yeah." Jaune sighed. "Not just me, then."

"No. Everyone."

Something to do with the crack in the sky. Hard not to think otherwise. He toyed with the idea of asking the man if he could see that but decided against it. No need to invite trouble. If the guy could see it, he wouldn't have been driving around like this.

A flash of light filled the interior of the cab. It was bright and pale blue, like a torch being shone through the front window. The driver didn't react to it at all. It passed on a second later.

"What was that?"

"What?" the driver asked.

"That light."

"No light," the man said. "Maybe car light."

Not a chance. More unexplained stuff. Jaune sat up in the seat and looked forward, out the front window. There was a fog rolling in from the Quabbin Reservoir, one that bunched among the buildings by the water's edge and made visibility difficult, especially with how late it was. The fog was dyed red, though that, he imagined, was because of the blood moon.

Beyond that, however, peaking up from the fog, was a giant tower, atop which a bright, blue light shone, spinning in a slow circle, casting beams of light across the city.

A lighthouse.

An actual fucking lighthouse…

"What the hell…?"

He'd not missed this. No way. There was absolutely no such structure in Vale. He jogged down to the Water's Edge Boulevard most nights, so he'd have seen it. The thing looked positively archaic, old-fashioned and rickety like some building that had stood for hundreds of years – except that Vale was less than a hundred years old itself, so that was impossible.

The light atop it, too, he would have seen that at some point before now. If it existed. It was bigger than most other buildings in Vale, bar a through skyscrapers, and looked to be casting its illumination all the way to Eastfield and beyond.

"We're here," the driver said, pulling up into a dead end. The road gave way to a pedestrian area, cut off by metal bollards. "That's seven dollar twenty."

"Keep the change," Jaune said, pushing a ten into the man's hand. He pushed out and slammed the door shut, ignoring the man's tired `thank you`. Jaune's attention was entirely on the lighthouse. It was closer now, and yet somehow also out of reach. The bottom couldn't be made out past the fog, but he had the strangest thought it was _out_ on the reservoir itself.

Again, impossible. But there it was.

Jogging out onto the boulevard, Jaune reached the water's edge, where a metal railing cut him off from a short drop into the water. Swimming out to it seemed a bad idea, so he skirted to the right, following the railing while still moving roughly in the direction of the tower. The water looked unusually dark and deep tonight, almost like it might swallow him if he fell in.

 _Drip-Drip_

His eyes flicked left and right, scanning the area. The sound in his head, the dripping, tended to come before some horror, he'd realised. Not this time. There were no Grimm on the boulevard, or none he could see. The area felt just a little safer.

There were more people, too. Some of them were moving along with their heads low, but there were a few couples and groups by the railings taking pictures of the moon, or selfies with their backs to the water. They didn't seem to care about the lighthouse. Idly, Jaune checked his cell again. No signal, but the camera app still worked. He aimed it up at the lighthouse and took a shot, then brought it back down and flicked through to the latest image.

He wasn't even surprised to find a picture of water, fog and the open sky.

Not even the slightest bit…

Stopping a passer-by, Jaune asked, "Do you know a place around here called the lighthouse?"

"Lighthouse. What, like, _a_ lighthouse…?"

"No. Just some place called it."

"Don't think I have, man. There's a place down that way a little called `The Beacon`, though." He pointed to the right, down past the railings. "It's a bar, I think. Shady place."

Beacon, lighthouse? Hadn't the girl mentioned something like that?

"Thanks." Jaune let the man go and hurried on. There were still no Grimm to be seen, but he didn't want to take any chances. He was already exhausted, both physically and mentally. The only thing keeping him going was sheer adrenaline. The muscles in his legs were burning. This was a whole lot worse than the usual jogs he went for. Then again, if it wasn't for his late-night running, he wouldn't be here.

 _But if it wasn't for my running, I wouldn't have been fit enough to escape those first Grimm, either._ He'd have been caught and killed almost straight away.

Speaking of killed, he still didn't know what was going on with Miss Farleigh or that girl. Miss Farleigh had taken a bullet to the brain and gotten back up. That nixed the idea she was normal, though the same could hardly be said for the other girl who moved _way_ too fast to be human. Jaune ran his hands up his arms, shivering in the cool night air. Was the fight at Eastfield over? And if so, he wondered who had come out the victor.

And would this terrible night be over once the sun rose?

"It has to be. There's no way this could last…"

The lighthouse remained out on the water, far out of reach and, if he swam out to it, probably intangible in some strange way. Maybe he'd never reach it, the building staying forever out of reach. The railings gave way to a set of stairs that led down onto a lower platform, however, like a concrete jetty going a small way out onto the reservoir. On it, right at the back, a large wood and brick structure stood.

It was an odd-shaped thing not unlike the British-style pubs he'd seen when he visited Ireland with the family. It was perhaps two floors, with white walls occasionally broken up by black wooden beams imitating a Victorian style building. There were two wooden picnic tables out front that were empty and a dark blue door at the front. The windows had curtains drawn across them, but dim illumination from inside told him the place was open. There was a steady hum of noise from within.

There was a sign hanging above and to the side of the door. It was a wooden thing swinging gently from an iron bar, with a stylised image of a lighthouse on it, light shining in two directions as it stood in a choppy ocean. Beneath it, large writing spelled out `The Beacon`.

Behind it, almost directly so – although out in the reservoir – stood the lighthouse. If one were to squint and ignore what your mind was telling you, it would be possible to imagine the lighthouse was connected to the bar.

This was the place, then. Taking a deep breath, Jaune placed a hand on the door and pushed his way inside. A wave of warm air struck as he did, followed by the constant chatter of low conversation, the _clink-clink_ of glasses and the _crackle_ of an open fire in a hearth. Following that, the scent of burning wood and cigarette smoke.

The place was busy. There were at least six or seven tables in the first room, and an open archway showed that there was another beyond, with the bar running through and into both. From the inside, it looked even more like a British pub, with the seating being a mix of wooden chairs around round tables, and then some straight benches with plush cushions in the corners. There were pictures of simple art, most of a nautical theme, on the walls, along with a jukebox on one side and two gambling machines nearby. A man stood at one, pushing the buttons as bright lights flashed and silly jingles played.

A few of the locals – and they _felt_ like locals, even as Jaune felt like an outsider – looked his way. Their eyes were hard, their faces even more so. There was a collection of hoods, hats, cowls and more. Most of the people had them up, hiding their faces. Such didn't normally fly well in today's suspicious world, but no one at The Beacon seemed to care. The faces watched him, some whispering to others at the tables. He saw no one he recognised, hardly a surprise, and he had the distinct impression he wasn't welcome.

A man behind the bar coughed loudly. He had white hair, glasses and a green scarf tucked into a black waistcoat, but despite the hair, it was almost impossible to guess his age. He could have been as young as thirty or as old as fifty. He stood with a glass in hand, the other cleaning it with a white cloth.

"Welcome to The Beacon, stranger. Can I help you?"

Jaune's nerves were on edge. He swallowed and stepped forward, painfully aware of how each and every step made the wooden floorboards creak. He reached the bar and sat down on one of the stools. That seemed enough to convince everyone he was allowed, for people turned back to their tables and conversation resumed.

"Not seen you here before," the man said. "New in the area?"

"I've lived here a while. Just never saw the need… Didn't know this place existed."

The man shrugged one shoulder. "We're out of the way. More of a local establishment, you might say. People come for a drink and some rest, or to meet friends."

"Someone told me to come here," he said.

"Oh? Anyone I would know…?"

Jaune hesitated. He sought the man's eyes, watching them. They were calm and lidded, but more importantly a dark brown colour. Natural. They didn't glow, flicker or have any unusual shape. The man, apart from his ageless nature, looked like any other he might have met on the street.

"I didn't catch her name," Jaune admitted. "But she had… she had silver eyes."

The man paused. Only for a second, but a noticeable one. "I see. Ruby would be her name. Ruby Rose. Short girl with dark hair dyed red. Familiar?"

"Yeah. That's her."

"Interesting. My name is Ozpin, and I'm the owner of this fine establishment, a resting place for those who need it. A haven from the storm, from the dark depths of the ocean. A Beacon in the darkness."

"Jaune. Jaune Arc," he replied.

"Charmed. You'll be wanting a drink, I imagine. Calm those nerves."

Jaune made to say no, to explain that he didn't really drink and was too young to do so anyway, but he thought better of it at the last second. His hand dropped. With all the shit that had gone on, the running and the fear, he hadn't realised just how parched he was. And the thought of alcohol right now? Yeah, he could use that.

"Please. Something strong."

"Everything here is strong," Ozpin said, turning his back. He brought a glass up to a bottle attached upside down above the back counter. "Our patrons tend to need it. We don't really cater to those out for a casual night or a drink after a hard day's work at the office. I suppose you've figured that much out already."

"I… I don't know. I'm more confused than anything…"

"Understandable." Ozpin laid a paper coaster down and placed the glass atop it. "Vodka and Red Bull," he said. "I've a feeling you'll be needing it to stay awake tonight. From the looks of you, you'll not want to close your eyes until the sun rises."

Nodding, Jaune brought the drink to his lips. It tasted like medicine, as most energy drinks tended to, but the kick of the vodka was there, and the drink woke him up. It was ice-cold. Refreshing in a way he hadn't realised he'd needed. It took him a second to process what Ozpin had said, and its meaning. He looked up toward the man.

"Will daylight make it better?"

"Better? No. Safer? Yes. You'll find that many things that go bump in the night don't do the same under the light of day."

"Thank God." Sagging, Jaune drank a little more. "What's happening? What's going on? I know you can see the lighthouse behind this place. No way you can't with what you're saying."

"I can," Ozpin admitted, smiling. "After all, I'm the one who placed it there."

"How?"

"That's not an answer you're ready to hear."

Jaune gritted his teeth. "Fine. Then why?"

"To serve as a signal and a beacon to those like you. Those like us. To tell them that a storm is coming, and where they can come for safety. To provide a safe haven in a storm." Ozpin nodded to the rest of the patrons. "Tell me, Jaune. Do you know of the Dream?"

"Bits and pieces." Jaune eyed those around them. "Should I really be saying that here, though? People might think me insane."

"Everyone here is Awakened. If… that word means anything to you."

So, Rebecca had been telling the truth about that. "Able to see the monsters," he recounted. "Part of our souls stuck in another world or something. Cracks in the sky, Nightmares, trapped out of the Dream that keeps everyone safe." He raised an eyebrow. "Am I on the right track?"

"Remarkably so. Ruby told me she was looking for someone freshly Awakened. I didn't expect you to know so much."

"I had a good teacher."

"Truly? Where is said teacher?"

"Fighting to the death with Ruby."

Ozpin stilled. His eyes flicked to the door before coming back to rest on him. He nodded. "I see. Perhaps you and I should speak in private for a while." He turned away and called out to a lithe brunette working nearby. "Velvet, could you mind the bar for me while I help our newest patron?"

"Oh, um. Yes, Mr Ozpin." The girl had brown hair and brown eyes. She was young, maybe a year or two older than him. She looked skittish, not the right kind of person to work in a seedy place like this.

"Thank you, Velvet. She will be alright, Jaune. Come now. You need to be brought up to speed and I can see that you're bursting with questions. It would be rude of me to ask you to wait any longer for answers."

"Yeah. I think so…"

Ozpin led him to a staircase leading up to the second floor. There were rooms on either sides of a corridor and the hum of conversation and the _clink_ of glasses could still be heard below through the floorboards. Oddly enough, it had a calming effect on him. It was a constant reminder that he wasn't alone out here.

Rooms passed by, either in use or not the right one. Ozpin stopped at one at the end of the corridor and pushed it open, gesturing Jaune inside. It wasn't a bedroom or guestroom, but some kind of meeting room. There was a simple table with a lamp and some folders on it, while the back wall was covered in numerous bookcases, with thick tomes and books that looked old beyond belief. The titles hinted that they were not fiction, or at least not novels. Many were written in languages he didn't understand. French, German, Spanish. He even saw some symbols that might have been Chinese, Japanese or Korean.

There was a green couch to the left, under a window with the curtains drawn shut. It had four pinkish cushions on it. Beside that was a single one-seater which Ozpin sat down in. Jaune took the sofa, though he had to resist the urge to lay down and sleep. He let the empty glass rest on the coffee table before it.

"I have some more here," Ozpin said, reaching down beside his armrest. He came up with a bottle of whiskey. "Not my preferred, but strong and sharp. Try to sip it. The last thing we need is you passing out up here." He poured some into Jaune's glass. "Now, we're alone here. No one shall bother us. Ask your questions, Mr Arc."

Jaune leaned forward. "What the _fuck_ is going on here?"

"You'll have to be more specific."

"Specific? I was just chased by _monsters_ across the city. I saw a man killed. I've seen things I can't explain, and when I finally _do_ get answers from someone, she tries to sacrifice me in some kind of ritual – before coming back to life from a bullet lodged in her head by some sixteen-year-old girl who can move faster than I can see, and who wields a huge fucking scythe."

"Fifteen."

"What?"

"Ruby is fifteen years old."

"Like it matters."

"And those creatures as you put them, are the Grimm."

"I know all that. Or some of it. I know what Grimm are, the basics, but who the hell are you guys? What's going on in Vale specifically, _why_ Vale, and how the hell do I stop this?"

Ozpin regarded him carefully, running one finger around the rim of his glass. "The answers to many of those questions are ones I seek myself. The why and the what are, I'm afraid, questions I cannot help you with. It is not just Vale, however. This happens in other places."

"Then how come I haven't heard of it?"

"How come you have not heard of it here?" Ozpin challenged. "Because it is a secret. Because even when that secret is told, the average person will refuse to accept it. Because belief, Jaune, is a powerful weapon, and a powerful defence for those who are safe in the Dream. I can personally attest to the presence of Grimm in New York, though I will grant you that the Grimm presence here is far larger. Vale appears to be a hot spot for them and is the location of the only _crack_ in the barrier in the United States. That we know of, at least."

Ozpin nodded to the window, though neither of them could see out to the crack in the sky.

"It is our belief that the weakening of the barrier between our world and theirs is the reason for such an abundance of Grimm. Their presence in our world is ever-increasing, though we do our best to stop that reaching a level that would overwhelm us."

"We…?"

"The Awakened. Myself, those downstairs, Ruby. We call ourselves `Hunters` and our job is to hunt down the Grimm wherever they may be and slay them. To prevent the number of Grimm in our world from exceeding the Awakened, all to ensure that there is _less chance_ more Dreamers will Awaken into the Nightmare. And you, Jaune," Ozpin said, leaning forward, "Are the latest addition to our ranks."

"What?" Jaune recoiled. "No. No, no, no. I'm not one of you. I'm not a fighter. How do you even fight these things anyway?"

"With steel for the most part. You've seen Ruby in action."

A scythe?

"I'm not a hunter. Look, I appreciate the drink, and the explanation, but I didn't sign up for this. I don't _want_ any of this. How do I end it? How do I get back into the Dream?"

"You cannot."

"Ha!" Jaune laughed hysterically. "N-Nice. Funny. But seriously."

"I am being serious, Jaune. Deadly serious."

"Y-You can't be…"

"Your ability to Awaken, to see the tears in our reality, it is something born of belief. You cannot _unsee_ it any more than you can convince yourself to believe something you _know_ is true, is unreal. That which has been seen cannot be unseen."

"T-Then I can forget. I can… There has to be some way." Jaune tried to stand. Ozpin beat him to it, pushing him back down into the seat. Jaune slapped the hand away. "This is insane. This is crazy. Some kind of drug, a concussion. There are ways to forget."

"You might forget, but your soul will not. Your mind will not. And even if you were to pretend none of this is real, you would know better in here." Ozpin tapped his head. "We have a saying, us Awakened. Once your eyes are opened, they can never be closed."

"No…"

"I'm afraid so. I have spent my life looking for a means to end this. If I knew of a way, I would have used it on myself long ago."

Jaune's world crashed in on him. The fear, the pressure, was unbelievable. For once, that incessant dripping was gone, and yet he was left _no_ better for it. "B-But I can't fight. I don't know how. Not against monsters."

"Do you think anyone is born knowing how in this world? If a fifteen-year-old girl could learn, you can learn. And you will _have_ to learn. Even if you don't desire it, the Grimm will come for you. You can run for the rest of your life, but they will catch you sooner or later. Better you know how to face them."

"I can't!"

"Then you will die."

Jaune's throat tightened.

"That is not a threat from me, nor any other here. You have Awakened. You no longer have the safety of the Dream. The Grimm _will_ hunt you. They _will_ kill you."

Jaune's eyes, wide and afraid, rolled around the room. "C-Can't I stay here? It's safe here." He swallowed. "Isn't it…?"

"It is safe. For now. I would not refuse you, but ask yourself this, can you really spend every night of the rest of your life here? Would not your family ask where you are? How would you live your life?"

"N-Not forever. Just until this is over."

"Mr Arc-"

"It has to end! This can't be forever!"

Ozpin sighed. "You're right. It won't last. Even now, the Nightmares come with more regularity. The crack in the sky has widened. Dreamers Awaken in numbers never seen before. The Grimm prowl the streets not just on the even of a Nightmare, but every night." The chair creaked as Ozpin leaned forward. "This won't last, Mr Arc. You're correct there. But as things are going, it won't end as you or I wish it to."

Jaune's head fell into his hands. "This can't be happening. It just can't be…"

There was another creak of leather and wood as Ozpin stood. He stepped around the table and placed a hand on Jaune's shoulder. "There's no need to make any decisions tonight. You've been through a lot. Stay here, recover. Sleep if you wish. The Hunters will keep you safe for the night. We can talk more in the light of the morning."

"Isn't this your room?"

"My timetable is somewhat more nocturnal than yours. For reasons I'm sure you can understand. Worry not, I shall sleep through the day."

He wanted to argue, ask more questions, but Ozpin was right. His nerves were fraying, his mind unravelling. Not to mention the raw fatigue burning through his body. He could barely _think_ , let alone comprehend all this.

"You'll answer more questions in the morning?"

"Yes. It is not my intent, or anyone's here, to keep you in the dark. Feel free to come back downstairs once you're rested. The Beacon is less busy during the day. Don't worry about making any decisions now," he said, moving to the door. "Those can wait until tomorrow."

The door clicked shut behind the man, leaving Jaune alone. Not in silence, however. Between his breath, the gentle sound of the reservoir outside and the low hum of chatter from below, he felt anything but.

Mentally and physically spent, Jaune laid down on the sofa and placed an arm across his eyes. Though he expected sleep to be impossible, it hit hard. He was out in a second.

/-/

Ozpin arrived back on the ground floor and stepped behind the bar, nodding to Velvet as she brushed by, serving some more drinks. The Beacon was filling up. Expected, given the Nightmare outside. It was late in the day, or early in the morning as one might put it. Many were coming in off their hunts, boots stained with blood and grime.

One such hunter – or huntress – dragged out a stool with a loud scrape of wood on wood. Her golden mane flowed behind her, the only part of her not muddied in some way.

"The usual?" Ozpin asked, already reaching for the cocktail glass.

"Yeah. Long night."

"Did you see anything unusual?"

"Nothing." Yang leant an elbow on the bar, her chin atop her hand. "Checked out the shopping centre like you asked me to. Surprisingly easy to break into, but I guess it's the shops themselves who have to worry about security."

"Hm. No sign of ill will?"

"Not that I could see. A few junkies hanging around and a Grimm or two. Nothing out of the ordinary. Ah, thanks." Yang accepted the Sunrise and took a long drink. "Shit, I needed that. Any news from Ruby? She still hunting her little project."

"Not quite. He arrived not fifteen minutes ago."

Yang raised an eyebrow. "She found him?"

"Indeed. He's asleep upstairs. In my office." Ozpin nodded upward. "I gave him a little something to ensure his rest was undisturbed. He should be out like a light."

"Heh, just like you. So, we got a new member?"

"Hard to say. He's reluctant."

Yang snorted. "Weren't we all?"

"Of course, but times were easier back then. Time could be given. Now…"

"Things are getting worse. Yeah, I know." Yang sighed and drew back, idly scanning the crowd as she nursed her drink. "So, where's Ruby? She with him?" Yang grinned. "Should I be concerned for my sister's purity?"

"Ruby…" Ozpin hesitated. "She has not yet returned."

Yang's drink slammed down. "What!?"

"She sent him ahead. Rescued him from being sacrificed, if I heard his comments correctly." Ozpin's hand lashed out, snagging Yang's brown duster coat before she could leave. "Ruby will be fine. You know how she is, Yang. Out of everyone here, she is uniquely suited to face whatever she comes across."

Yang grit her teeth and tugged her arm free. "You said he came out of a ritual. You sure nothing came through?"

"I'm sure of nothing, Yang. Not until I speak with Ruby. He can hardly give a good account of what happened, knowing as little as he does."

"He could be one of them," she spat.

"His eyes are pure. They are-"

"The windows to the soul, I know." Yang rubbed her arm nervously and looked away. "Trust me, I know that more than anyone." She hesitated, scowled, and then turned away. "Fuck it. I'm going back out. You know where Ruby might be?"

Ozpin made no move to stop her. He knew she would not allow it.

"I believe she wished to investigate your school. Eastfield, was it? You might find her there." He watched as Yang pulled her coat aside, checked the shotgun strapped to her leg and then tied it shut around it, concealing the weapon once more.

The Dreamers would never understand. Could not.

"Good Hunt, Yang," Ozpin said. "May you return to us."

"To you or the Dream," she recited, and then sent him an impish grin. "Have a Sunrise waiting for my return, Oz. And some milk for Rubes." With that, Yang walked away, metal-shod boots echoing on the wooden floor. She pushed the door open and stepped out into the night.

Out into the Nightmare.

* * *

 **A reprieve of sorts. No, Ozpin is not a vampire. Just going to head that off before people worry I'm going full Twilight here. When he says nocturnal, he just means that he stays awake at night to run "The Beacon" and sleeps during the day when it's less busy.**

 **Still, a lot of little symbolism, Chekhov's guns and hints in this chapter.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 28** **th** **October**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	6. Chapter 6

**Here we go, here we are.**

 **The Unseen Hunt continues.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 6**

* * *

For once, Jaune awoke without a nightmare.

And, ironically, he did not wake _to_ one, either. Instead, his eyes fluttered open to a wooden roof, dimly illuminated from several electric lights fixed to the walls as if to emulate torches or candles. The light was low, the curtains above him drawn, but the window was open and he could smell the soft, clean scent of the morning breeze.

"You're awake, I see."

"Huh?" Jaune tried to sit up and locate the voice, only to wince as his body protested. His muscles were killing him, like he'd run a marathon the night before, and to make matters worse he'd slept funny and had a stiff neck.

"Try not to move too much. You must still be exhausted. There is water on the table. Drink."

It took him a second to locate the mentioned water, but the sight of the glass, condensation dripping down the sides, sparked his thirst. Swinging his legs over, Jaune sat and cracked his neck to one side. With a shaky hand, he took and drank the water, eyes scanning for the speaker all the while.

A man sat behind a desk in the room, eyes down, glasses having fallen to the tip of his nose. He looked up briefly, revealing dark brown eyes in an ageless face set beneath hair of solid silvery-white.

The name came to him suddenly. "Ozpin?"

"You remembered. That saves an awkward introduction at the very least. How are you, Jaune? More rested, I hope."

"Yeah." The question was one with many answers. How was he? Angry, afraid, anxious, confused, on the verge of a breakdown. In the end, Jaune finished his drink and answered the only way he could, "I'm better than I was last night."

Ozpin chuckled. "That's all any of us can ask for. The sun has risen, the day has come, and with it, the monsters have lost what tenuous hold they have on our world. For now, that is. When night falls, the boundary will be weakened once more."

"Will it be as bad as last night?"

"Not that bad. Not yet. Last night was a Nightmare, a time where the connection is at its weakest. There will be Grimm still, make no mistake, but not in such numbers, nor so aggressive." There was a _scritch-scratch_ as Ozpin signed something with a fountain pen. "For the sake of your sanity, I think I should point out that you may still see Grimm during the day, but they will be harmless."

"Harmless? Them?"

"Harmless for now. You see, even in the light of day some are able to cross over. However, less of their presence comes through. Enough to be visible, barely, but not enough to interact or even perceive our world. You might think of them as echoes, nothing more. Shadows or remnants. They will wander aimlessly, hardly even aware they are doing so at all. I imagine it is what it is like for our souls on _their_ side. Just as we somehow remain safe and unnoticed, so too do they."

"But that changes come night, I'm guessing."

"Yes. Absolutely." Ozpin paused and clinked his pen against a metal cylinder on his desk. "Coffee…?"

Jaune stood with a sigh, stumbled over and sat down on a wooden stool on the other side of the desk. He nodded. "Please."

"Not a problem." Ozpin poured them each some, and then pushed a small glass of milk and a bowl of sugar cubes forward. "I promised you answers today, Jaune. I intend to honour that. Any that I can answer, of course. As I said last night, not all secrets are mine to know. I'm in much the same situation as yourself, after all."

"Right." Jaune stirred some milk into the coffee, watching the white swirl into black like a whirlpool, twisting and tainting the coffee, turning it a rich golden colour.

 _Drip-Drip_

It tasted nice. Some blend he didn't recognise.

"You're an Awakened then. Like me."

"I am," Ozpin said. "Like yourself, albeit older. More experienced. Once upon a time I thought the Grimm on my own terms, but survival became more difficult as I grew older. I started to realise that the ravages of time would do me in faster than any Grimm, and as a result opened The Beacon, a venue from which I could offer support and assist the next generation."

"You don't _look_ old," Jaune pointed out.

"The benefit of an active lifestyle. Running, fighting and struggling to survive provided some positive cardio. I can assure you of that."

"Survive…" Jaune's eyes drifted shut. It was funny just how terrified he'd been last night and, conversely, how oddly calm he felt this morning. It had to be shock. That or the adrenaline wearing off. His palms pressed against the warm sides of the mug, taking in what heat he could. Panic or not, his body felt cold. Clammy.

"I hope you'll forgive me if I was overly brusque with you last night, Jaune. I could have phrased much better, but the eve of a Nightmare is not a night which has me in fine spirits. We lost some good men and women last night. Not many, but any number is too many."

"I'm sorry…"

"I appreciate it, but the apology is hardly yours to give."

It might be. "The girl… Ruby. Did she survive?"

Ozpin smiled. "She did."

Relief rushed through him. Jaune sagged, shoulders falling as he let out a long sigh. "Thank God. Is she… Is she here? I should thank her… Or apologise."

"She is, but leave that for now," Ozpin suggested. "Ruby is fast asleep, and I'm sure you'll agree she's earned some rest. Lucky for her that the Nightmare fell on a Friday, otherwise she might have been expected to attend school today. Lucky for yourself as well," he added. "I doubt you have much desire to return to Eastfield right now."

"No. Definitely not. Do you… Do you know what's happened with Miss Farleigh?"

"Escaped as I understand it." The answer brought an odd mixture of fear and pleasure. "Both she and Ruby came out alive. There was some structural damage to Eastfield, and the school is being investigated this morning."

"Investigated? For what, ritualistic sacrifice?"

"No. A bombing."

Jaune raised an eyebrow. Ozpin pushed a newspaper across the desk.

"Perhaps you should read it better yourself."

The newspaper was new but already read through, clear from how it had started to fall apart. Ozpin looked content to wait, so Jaune opened it up and looked at the front page.

"Freak Electro-Magnetic Storm hits Vale," he read. "Unexpected and unexplained meteorological effect brought down communications and cell signal over Vale Friday night into Saturday morning, coinciding with the blood moon. Although all signal was affected, communications giants are assuring people that regular service was brought back online within hours of the sun rising. Scientists are claiming the result was likely due to interference from a satellite in orbit, or perhaps a collision."

Jaune pushed the paper down.

"Are they joking!?"

"Keep reading," Ozpin instructed.

"The confusion caused by the electro-magnetic storm led to disruption and chaos across the city, including several road accidents that resulted in vehicular damage and one death. It is believed the storm may have interfered with critical systems, causing the drivers to lose control. Several store-front windows also damaged due to a spate of armed robbery…" Jaune flicked the page. "Traffic accidents, winds blowing down trees." He looked up. "This is all wrong, isn't it? It was the Nightmare."

"It was, though you would be hard pressed to make anyone believe it."

"So, they're just… making stuff up?"

"They are coming to their own conclusions," Ozpin said, taking the paper back. "Working on the information they have, what they consider normal, and coming to the only answers they can. What else would you have them believe, monsters?"

"Yes! Can't we show them?"

"You'd be a fool to do so, though I'll forgive it for you don't know better. Remember how you Awakened, Jaune. Remember what was required."

Required?

"I had to believe," Jaune said. "I saw a Grimm, saw it kill…"

"The latter I didn't know, but the former is correct. Belief. For you to convince people in power that this is true, that the Grimm exist, you would need them to believe you. The moment they do, however, they Awaken. Their lives are put at risk. The Grimm hunt them. I doubt they intend it this way at all, but that provides a rather apt defence against the truth being broadcast. Most witnesses are killed before they get a chance to _say_ anything."

"That's… There has to be some survivors."

"Of course, whether through luck or intervention there are those like you. But what do you believe happens to them if they try to convince people that the Grimm exist?"

"No one would believe them." It was painfully obvious. "They'd be called insane. Or traumatised." Just like the police had suggested with him.

"Some are locked up for their own protection. It all depends on just how badly they try to claim this is true. Imagine for a moment, Jaune, just how `safe` being locked in an asylum would be for an Awakened. Locked in a small room, unable to escape, with no means to defend oneself."

He didn't have to. The image came immediately. It was not a kind one.

"Exactly," Ozpin read his expression. "It is a death sentence. Though of course, once their bodies are discovered means such as suicide or assault are blamed for the cause of death. I'm sure you've heard cases of people clawing their own faces off in moments of insanity? Of blood under the nails?"

"I think so. On the news…" Jaune's blood ran cold. "Wait, you mean-"

"It takes a lot of force for a person to pierce their own flesh with their nails. It is possible and lacking any other evidence all the police can believe, but we know the truth. There are far more gruesome ways to die. And is it any surprise their hands might be bloody if they tried to fight off the beast that came to kill them?"

"Oh my God…"

"If God exists, Jaune, he does not favour us. Or cannot interfere. We must make our own way in the world, if we are to survive."

"But there must be _some_ way to prove it," Jaune said. "And I know that would put people in danger, but maybe with enough people we could fight back."

"No!" Ozpin surged up but paused when Jaune flinched. He sat again, forcefully calm. "Forgive me, I reacted poorly. No, we cannot allow that. You will see in time, but more Awakened would be a bad thing indeed. Remember, each time someone Awakens, a piece of their soul crosses the barrier. Each time an Awakened dies, that piece is devoured, along with their soul on this side. This weakens the boundary, or so we believe. It would explain why the number of Grimm has been increasing over the decades, and why the Nightmares come with more regularity."

"More Awakened means more souls to devour," he continued. "Which would mean more Grimm, leading to more deaths and more _chances_ for others to Awaken by interacting or witnessing them as you did. It would lead to a cascade effect that would all but _ensure_ the boundary between the worlds is shattered entirely. We _must_ do what we can to prevent people Awakening. If not for that, then at least out of the kindness of our hearts. Were _you_ still in the Dream, would you want someone to Awaken you?"

Jaune's eyes fell. "No…"

"It was not a bad thought," Ozpin said comfortingly. "But believe me, we have considered many such things ourselves over the years. For now, you should focus more on yourself. On what you will do."

"I can't fight," Jaune said, not for the first time. He looked up, eyes desperate. "I can't. You don't understand how _terrified_ I was when I saw that man die. Let alone when I was being chased. I just can't do this."

Last night, Ozpin told him he would die if he didn't. Jaune expected the same, but Ozpin calmly placed his mug down and took off his glasses.

"I think this is a conversation best had when things are a little calmer, don't you?"

Jaune's entire body relaxed. "Yeah. Definitely."

"I am exhausted and you, for all your rest, have had little time to gather your wits. You already have a lot to think on. Why not go out, walk and enjoy your weekend?"

"Will it be safe?"

"In the day, yes. I would like to ask you to come back here before seven. Not for me to try and recruit you," he assured, "but for your own protection. Once night falls the Grimm will return. I think we would both rather you were safe, no? It will give me a chance to introduce you to Ruby as well."

"Right." Jaune rubbed his arm and glanced away. The fear was still there, but with the promise of protection he felt at least a little better. "Seven, right? Is that when it changes?"

"The Grimm will attack once night falls. The exact time differs in the year. Seven will give you some leeway. You are of course welcome to come sooner. As for safety, there is nowhere in Vale safer than The Beacon. You can be sure of that."

Oddly enough, Jaune believed him. He'd been safe here thus far and hadn't seen any Grimm near the docks the night before. "I'll be here, I promise. I just… I need time to clear my mind. Time to think."

"Take all you need, Jaune. I'll be here when you need to talk."

/-/

Ozpin watched as the man left, listened to his footsteps echo nervously down the corridor. He found the stairs and descended, and from there would find his way out. It was enough for now. The boy would be back tonight, or so Ozpin hoped. If he did not come, then all he could do was say a prayer for the poor boy's soul.

The door creaked a little. There were no footsteps.

"Curious, Ruby?"

The door opened fully, and the girl stepped through with an almost guilty expression. "How did you know it was me?"

Ozpin chuckled. "There are few who leave no footsteps as you do, my dear, and few who would be as energetic as to wake up so soon after a Nightmare. Your sister must still be fast asleep."

"She is. Why did you send Yang after me? She could have been hurt."

"I did not send her anywhere, Ruby. You know how she is."

Ruby sighed. "Ugh." Her eyes flicked to the door. "Was that him…?"

"It was."

"He's not staying?"

"Not for now. He is confused and afraid. Give him time. He will return tonight and then you can meet him." Ozpin smiled teasingly. "Perhaps explain yourself better than saying you will `deal` with him while holding a scythe."

"It's not my fault he ran!" Common sense would say it was. Ozpin smiled but didn't press the issue. Ruby caught the `look` anyway and pouted. "Okay, it was _maybe_ a little my fault. But his, too."

"Of course, of course."

Ruby's foot shifted. "Is it safe to let him be on his own?"

"Perhaps not," Ozpin conceded. "But I think it would be unwise to have him followed. It would erode his trust in us, something which by all means will be fragile already."

"But what if he's attacked?"

"He has already shown a proficiency for running."

"Ozpin!"

"He will be fine, Ruby." Ozpin stressed the word and glanced to the window. "What time is it?"

"Ten fifteen and fifty-three seconds," Ruby replied immediately. "But don't change the subject! What if he isn't okay? There are more dangers out there than just the Grimm and he was put through a ritual. I saw water on the floor, Ozpin. _Salt water_."

Ozpin's pen stilled.

"If something came through, even if it was just water…"

"We will see, Ruby. We can but wait and see." Ozpin looked up to meet her eyes. "For now, rest and recover. Wait for your sister to awake and spend some time with her. If the current path continues, we might face another Nightmare before the month is over. We need you in top condition."

Ruby bit her lip but nodded. She knew her part, even if she didn't like it.

All the while, her eyes flickered, like tiny candles of silver flame.

/-/

It was astounding how life was continuing, as if nothing had happened the night before. If Ozpin was to be believed, then from the point of view of normal people, nothing _had_ happened. Just an electro-magnetic storm, several car crashes and some bomb scare at a local school. Regular, every-day stuff.

 _They'll probably make a conspiracy theory of it,_ Jaune thought. _Russians or aliens, terrorists or gang fighting gone wild. Funny how even with all that, no one will get any closer to the truth._

His feet carried him without purpose, first off the Boulevard and into town proper, and then beyond, to the outskirts of Eastfield, where numerous red and blue lights flashed lazily, the area around the school cordoned off by yellow and black tape. It was hard to make out much detail, but the gates were open, and several vans and cars were parked on the grass. A news crew was outside the metallic fence, looking in.

If they found the chalk ritual circle, they might add `satanic cult` to the list of suspects. They probably wouldn't think to look for Miss Farleigh, though if she didn't return to school next week she might be portrayed as a victim.

If she didn't return.

God, what was he going to do if she did? What was going to happen if she was right there on Monday morning, smiling at him as if nothing had ever happened? She wouldn't be that insane, surely.

It was a question for Ozpin, he supposed. The mysterious old man would know better and at least be able to give him an idea how afraid of her he should be. His instincts said `very`, but it was hard to shake the memories of her smile, of her comforting words and the simple generosity in letting him change out of wet or damaged clothing in her office, sharing her private bathroom so he could wash up or offering him a towel and a warm cup of tea.

So very different from the hissed words, inhuman endurance and heated kiss.

Unbidden, his fingers came up to touch his lips. Not his first kiss, but easily the most passionate he'd ever had, prior experiences being either pecks on the lips or awkward fumbling. Some colour peaked on his cheeks. She'd been so different to how he normally saw her.

What if that was a factor of the Blood Moon? What if she'd been possessed, if such were even possible? If she'd really wanted to kill him, she could have had ample opportunity before. And what would a demon even care for looking after a bullied student for months on end? It didn't make sense.

"Maybe there's more to it. Maybe… Maybe I should hear her side of things…"

From a distance, of course. He wasn't going into a circle again with her. Or going near her on a Blood Moon. A Nightmare, he corrected himself.

"This is stupid. I'm not going near her at all."

And she wouldn't be in school, if school would even be on come Monday at all. There was a fair chance it would be postponed until this was all sorted out.

Another police car rushed by, followed closely by an ambulance. The hospitals looked busy. There were all kinds of things that could have gone wrong from the Nightmare, not just with the Grimm but little things. With cell signal down, there were probably a whole heap or crimes, accidents and other things that never got reported. He didn't even know if landlines had been working, but that person who crashed… it was possible no one could contact a hospital for him.

Guilt building up, Jaune nervously made his way back to the road he'd crossed without looking. It was obvious something was wrong before he arrived, since traffic had been diverted and was piling up. A crowd hovered on the edge of the street, looking in. Jaune hovered at the back, trying to see through. Someone, a middle-aged man, stepped out of it, shaking his head.

"Hey," Jaune called, trying for politeness. His voice came out hoarse. "What's happening?"

"Car crash," the man said. "Whole thing torn off the side of the road, flung into another set of cars. They're digging the poor man out." The man made the symbol of the cross on his chest. "It doesn't look promising. Excuse me, I need to go."

Jaune smiled in thanks and let him, the expression falling away the moment he was gone. He felt sick, like an iron bar had caught him straight in the stomach. Dead. Or badly hurt, probably dead though. Holy shit.

This… This was his fault.

He'd killed that man.

No, the Grimm had. They'd been chasing him. And sure, he'd run across the street, but he hadn't been hit. It was that horse Grimm who smashed into the car. But how? Why? They walked through normal people just fine. He hadn't expected it to kill someone.

 _I thought they couldn't interact with people who couldn't see them? He definitely didn't, or he wouldn't have stopped to shout at me._

The accident scene provided no answers. There was a loud _slam_ as the ambulance doors were closed, followed by a low-pitched siren as it pulled out into the road and away. Two police cars stayed behind, likely to pick apart the wreckage and try to figure out what was going on. The drama over, the crowd began to disperse as well, Jaune with them. There wasn't much point staying.

As he did, his cell beeped.

" _Hey, you okay? We still on tomorrow?"_

The message was from Ren.

Was he okay? Did Ren know something? Anxiously, Jaune looked around. There were plenty of people, but no one was paying any particular attention to him. Stepping aside to lean against a wall, Jaune typed a message back.

" _I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"_

A brief pause.

" _Looked back at school. Wanted to make sure you got enough rest."_

School? Ah, the incident in the forest. Jaune's shoulders sagged, posture relaxing. Ren didn't mean what happened last night, just the day before. Too much paranoia, too much fear.

" _Yeah, I'm fine."_

Jaune sent the message, then bit his lip. But what if Ren _did_ know? It was a long shot, but Jaune quickly wrote off a second text.

" _Had a weird Nightmare last night. Monsters in the streets. Scary."_

Ren's reply was immediate.

" _Want to spend the night at mine? Parents will probably be okay with it."_

Nothing. Or nothing unusual. He was fairly sure Ren would have said more if he knew, if he was one of these Awakened. Jaune stamped down the desire to agree, to hide with his friend all night. If he did, there was no telling if he wouldn't draw Grimm to hurt Ren and his family.

" _No, it's fine. You heard about Eastfield?"_

" _No. What is it?"_ Ren's text was short but was followed by another before he could reply. _"Out with parents. No TV."_

" _Looks like a bomb scare."_ Jaune felt stupid even as he wrote it. _"Part of the wall blown out, metal fences bent and broken. Police on scene. Lots of them."_

" _I'll check news later. You think school cancelled Monday?"_

" _Maybe."_

" _I'll tell parents. Thanks for letting know. We still on tomorrow?"_

Were they? The world seemed a whole lot more fucked up than it had Friday, and spending the day hanging around town with Nora and Ren was looking increasingly foolish. Then again, what else was he going to do? Spend the whole day hiding, crying and feeling sorry for himself? Ozpin already said the Grimm didn't come out during the day, and true enough there were none out now.

" _Yeah. I'm still good."_

" _Nice. See you tomorrow."_

" _Cya."_

Jaune sent a final farewell, shaking his head as his phone auto-translated `cya` to `see ya`. A quick check of the timer showed him it was nearly twelve. His stomach grumbled, reminding him that he hadn't had a meal since school ended the day before.

There was no need to be back at The Beacon until late. Jaune made his way home instead.

/-/

Blake was waiting for him.

He wasn't sure how or why he'd forgotten about her – probably something to do with all the other crazy shit that happened – but forget he had. She was waiting, but she wasn't being subtle about it. The girl was leaning against the low wall surrounding the apartment block, hoodie up and cigarette in hand.

Jaune huddled against a wall on the street corner, a good distance away. He'd spotted her almost immediately and ducked back behind the corner the moment he had, as memories of yesterday flashed through his mind.

Her standing over a Grimm, her trying to force her way in, breaking into his window, chasing him. None of it was any different from what Ruby had done, and she was apparently working with Ozpin, so it wasn't impossible that Blake was the same. She might even have been waiting to talk to him when he came back, because she was clearly waiting for _someone_ and he couldn't think who else it would be.

But one thing stopped him, held him back from showing himself.

Blake's eyes had been golden yellow and glowing, just like Rebecca's. The second Blake realised he could see those, she had attacked. The moment he pointed the same out to Rebecca Farleigh, she told him to ignore it and kissed him, distracted him.

Nervously, Jaune stepped back and turned away, pulling his own hood up. He couldn't risk it. Not like this, not knowing what he did. He kept walking away, shoulders stiff as he listened for even the faint sound of footsteps behind him, for the sound of her giving chase.

It took three full minutes and another turn onto a busier street before he let himself relax. Blake hadn't seen him, hadn't noticed and would still be waiting at the apartment. Well, she'd be waiting a while. He wasn't going anywhere near it without answers.

 _Fuck, I guess that means I really do have to keep staying at The Beacon._

Not that he hadn't intended to already, but it had at least felt nice to pretend he had options. Either way, Blake was something else. There was something going on there. He'd always thought she looked dangerous, more like a criminal or gang member than a demon, but hey, he'd been on the right track. He idly wished he'd thought to ask Ozpin for a cell number or something, since he could have gotten some answers straight away.

Jaune came to a halt as he spotted a wisp of air building in front of him. A shadow, or a small collection of morning mist congealing, forming a shape. His heart leapt into his throat as it turned into the head and snout of the exact wolf-like monster that had chased him the night before. Its eyes, not glowing this time but more like empty sockets of air, looked in his direction.

And then continued past.

The creature didn't react, didn't notice him, and instead walked _though_ his body completely, making Jaune shiver. It floated on by, ignorant to the world around it, even phasing through a wall and into a building, beyond which he couldn't see.

 _They can still come out during the day, but they're harmless,_ he told himself. _Harmless_.

His body continued to shake regardless, and Jaune hugged himself, rubbing both arms to work some heat into them. It didn't really help. He kept wanting to look behind him, either for the Grimm or for Blake. He felt hunted, despite it being the middle of the day.

/-/

The taxi dropped him back off at the Boulevard. Paying the fare, Jaune closed the door and looked out over the Quabbin Reservoir. It was the middle of the day and the sky and air was clear, giving a spectacular view. With the dark night gone, the water looked less ominous and downright inviting. Not that he'd test it.

More surprising, though perhaps it shouldn't have been, was that the top of a lighthouse was still out there, just visible. The light was no longer turning, and the thing looked dead or asleep. What was more, without the fog and mist from the night before, it was more visible.

And yet also less.

It wasn't a full structure, at least from top to bottom. The top was there, the beacon and the building below it, the tower, but it only continued on for maybe ten to twenty metres, at which point it just… vanished.

It wasn't a clean cut off point, nor a horizontal line. It was fractured and diagonal, shifting slightly, more like there was mist there still rolling and blocking the view, except that the mist was completely see-through and made the tower invisible. Just another impossibility. There were some people at the railings looking out, chatting and the usual, but none of them seemed to see the spectral half-lighthouse.

Shaking his head, Jaune made his way to the quaint pub at the bottom of the boulevard. The lights were off, curtains still drawn, but the door was unlocked and tinkled lightly as he let himself in several hours early.

What else could he do? Where else was he safe?

The Beacon wasn't as empty as he'd expected, nor as quiet. There was a low hum of conversation, quieter than last night but not the deserted bar he'd anticipated. There was also the low clink of metal on porcelain, knives and forks on a plate. Jaune's stomach grumbled again, reminding him just how hungry he was.

It was that same hunger which pushed him to step beyond the entrance corridor and into The Beacon proper. The warm lit interior was somehow comforting, despite that he'd barely known the place. A couple of people sat at tables looked up, but even though it was just a day, they seemed to recognise and accept him. The stares were absent, and people went back to their conversations, cutlery rattling as they ate.

Ozpin wasn't behind the bar this time, but Jaune recognised, if vaguely, the brown-haired girl from the night before.

"Uh. Vicky?"

"Velvet." She smiled to show she wasn't offended. "And it was… John?"

"Jaune." He grinned back, the two sharing a little amusement at the mutual mistake. "Is Ozpin here?"

"He's asleep at this time. He tends to sleep early in the day and wake around four or five so he can prepare for the night ahead. If it's urgent I can wake him."

"It's not. I just…"

"Awakened business?" she asked.

Jaune flinched. "Y-Yeah."

"It's fine. We're all Awakaned here." Velvet stepped back from the counter and gestured to a hole in the wall, from within which delectable scents wafted. "You look hungry. We do an all-day English breakfast if you'd like?"

"A full English?"

"Ozpin came from Britain originally, or so he says." Velvet grinned. "Since he still gets annoyed when people say `chips` around him and mean the snack, I'm inclined to believe him."

"I guess that explains the décor," Jaune said. It really was modelled off a British pub. His stomach grumbled again. "And I'd appreciate some breakfast, definitely. I'm surprised you're serving breakfast so late, though."

"Awakened tend to keep unusual hours. After a whole night fighting, if necessary, most people just want to sleep. Even if they wake up around twelve or one in the afternoon, they still like breakfast. We adjusted the menu a little to help. Fried eggs or scrambled?"

"Fried, please." Jaune watched Velvet's eyes. They were brown, normal. "You say you're an Awakened. Do you fight?"

"Hm? When I have to, yes. Why?"

"Do you know a lot about… things…?"

"As much as anyone else, though less than Old Ozpin, I think. He's kind of our biggest researcher now that he no longer hunts. He's focused all his time and effort on finding out what's happening and how to stop it."

"I'm glad someone is."

"Hm. I feel the same. But if there's something you wanted to ask me, feel free. I'll help if I can."

It couldn't hurt. Maybe Ozpin would answer, but it felt like he might get a more honest response from Velvet, somehow.

"What does it mean if someone's eyes glow?"

"The eyes are the windows to the soul," a feminine voice said from behind him. "If they glow with fire, it means your eyes are opened in both worlds. If they are dull, you are yet spared that fate. You've already awoken from one Dream. Don't look to wake from the second."

Yang Xiao-Long, Eastfield's most popular girl, and the most rebellious. Her eyes were heavy, the bags under them obvious. They were an odd purple colour, but as she looked down on him, Jaune realised they did not shine unnaturally.

To his surprise, she seemed to be inspecting his eyes with the same focus.

"My sister spent days looking for you."

"Huh?" Oh God, Ruby. The school. The forest. "Ah. I…"

"She fought a demon for you, saved you from being a virgin sacrifice." Yang's lips quirked as Jaune's cheeks heated, proving her guess correct. Any semblance of a smile quickly faded, however. Her eyes hardened. "She shouldn't have had to do that. Not for you. She wouldn't have, if you hadn't run the first time."

"I-I'm sorry. I thought my life was in danger."

"It was. And she would have been the only one who cared enough to stay and make sure you lived."

"I didn't know…"

Yang leaned forward threateningly. "Since when has ignorance been an excuse?"

"Yang?" a timid voice piped up.

The woman before him, threatening and terrifying in equal measure, flinched. Her scowl disappeared, replaced by something infinitely softer as she backed away. "Hey Rubes. Didn't see you there."

Behind her, the girl in the red hoodie bit her lip. "You weren't being mean, were you?"

"Who, me? Nah. 'Course not."

"Yang…"

"Sheesh, such little faith!" Yang stepped back with a laugh. "Welp, I'm knackered still. Gonna catch a few Z's. I found your little runaway, Rubes. Try not to scare him too much, huh? As for you." Her eyes fixed on Jaune's, and in that moment seemed to sharpen to a razor's edge. The message was clear, even if her tone was jovial, "Don't take advantage of my little sis, okay? She saved your butt once. Don't let there be a second time."

Or else, her face said.

Jaune swallowed.

"Y-Yeah. Of course."

"Good." Yang patted his shoulder. "Well, I'll leave the two of you to it. Have fun!"

With that said, the woman walked away, leaving Jaune standing before the red-hooded figure, who despite saving his life twice, wielding a scythe as big as him and going one-to-one with Rebecca Farleigh after shooting her in the face, somehow managed to look both awkward and intimidated by his useless self.

"H-Hi," she said, obviously nervous. "I'm Ruby. Um. I'm sorry for whatever Yang was saying. She was threatening you, wasn't she? You don't have to listen to whatever she said."

Somehow, Jaune was fairly sure he did. "Ah, yeah. Nice to meet you. Sorry for… well…"

"Running?" Ruby shook her head. "It's fine. I… I feel kinda stupid now. I mean, `deal with you`? That sounds so wrong. I'm sorry. I'm not really good with stuff like this, and I wasn't thinking straight. I just had to save you. Right then, right there, I didn't think. Just acted."

"Well I'm glad you did. It's not like I can hold it against you for saving my life."

Her face fell. "I'm sorry…"

"Why? For me running? Don't be. I already said that was-"

"Not that," she said miserably. "I'm sorry for what happened… because it was my fault. This is all my fault. My fault you're here and dealing with all this, so I _had_ to make it right."

"W-What do you mean?"

Ruby's face was twisted with so much pain.

"It's my fault you Awakened," she explained. "I-I'm the one who Woke you."

* * *

 **There we are. Short chapters and slow action, I know. I really want to take a slower approach on this story and build up the lore and suspense a little more. I know it's annoying for some, but hey, you're still getting this every week, so it's still fast by the standards of most fics.**

 **And I just wanted to try something new and exciting for me.**

 **Meanwhile, Blake, Ruby and everything else getting even more confusing. Poor Jaune, he still knows so little, but there ARE clues sprinkled in for those looking. Also, I know the whole "electro-magnetic storm" thing might not hold water. It's not ME saying it's realistic, just the newspapers putting "something" together when they've not had any signal, internet or the like to work on. It's more "immediate news" and such than fact. The idea is that people are looking for reasons, and, as humans tend to do, defaulting to what we believe when fact is absent.**

 **After all, monsters and the supernatural is just ridiculous. We believe in science instead, which a lot of us understand even less...**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 4** **th** **November**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	7. Chapter 7

**Just to explain something one or two didn't like last chapter; I wasn't suggesting that science is a religion or a belief system. I was having Ozpin point out that some people will have the same level of belief for what scientists say as some of the wildest religious – or even conspiracy theorist – statements.**

 **Basically, he was suggesting that some people will literally believe anything a man in a white suit calling himself a scientist says, even if they don't understand what is being said. Whereas any intelligent person knows science works on the concept of disproving a hypothesis, which means** _ **anything**_ **a scientist might find is only applicable** _ **until**_ **it is disproved, and thus Grimm "could" exist, just be undiscovered.**

 **I think it was Dylan Moran, a comedian from Ireland, who (jokingly) said;**

" _ **We don't believe in anything. We treat religion with contempt. Faith, all that rubbish! What are you, a child? Believing in this, you do good and then, you know, you die and then you get a biscuit?! What are you, a fucking idiot? What's wrong with you?**_

 _ **We don't believe in anything, because we know about science! Believe in science! That's the only thing we know about! The atoms and quarks and things. We don't understand it! Any of it! But…But that's the case. So, that's totally different to having a faith, isn't it?"**_

 **And…**

" _ **I don't believe in God! Of course I don't. Or religion. I go along with science like everybody else. But I don't understand any of it. So I have to rely on television programmes to explain it to me."**_

 **I was kind of referencing that; the idea that some people are so locked into believing one concept that they "cannot" believe another. I.e. that Grimm might possibly exist. Moran said it for the lulz, but I was using it here to suggest that people can be eager to believe the scientific option, thus closing their mind and remaining in the Dream.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 7**

* * *

Jaune allowed Ruby to lead him to a little table near one of the windows, large enough for four people with wooden seats with little cushions atop. She drew one out and sat carefully, while Jaune fell into his, the seat rocking back.

"Explain," he said, hoping it didn't sound too confrontational. If she meant that it was her fault because he ran, or because the Grimm went for him or anything like that, then it would be fine. Those things were no one's, except maybe the monsters in the first place.

Even so, his foot tapped impatiently on the floor.

"It's the job of hunters to try and stop the Grimm. Not just from hurting people, but from Awakening others."

"Job?"

"Uh. More like responsibility," Ruby amended, "No one says we _have_ to do it, but knowing what we do, seeing what we've seen, it's kind of an impulse not to let anyone else go through the same."

"Okay, and how does that relate to me?"

"You wouldn't know it yet, but Ozpin gives us areas and patrol routes. To stop us getting in each other's way and at least have _some form_ of leadership. He doesn't force us," she said quickly. "It's a voluntary thing, and some people do their own thing anyway, but I do the patrols he asks. Yang does, too. The park was my patrol that night."

All of that made sense, but not her guilt in the matter of his Awakening. If it had been her route, well, she'd been there to kill the Grimm. "I don't see what the issue is," he said. "Is it that you weren't fast enough to stop it _before_ it killed that man?"

"It's not that…" Ruby said miserably.

Jaune's eyes narrowed. "Then what was it?"

"T-There was this guy."

"A guy…"

"I-I was trying to track the Grimm," Ruby said quickly, eyes not quite meeting Jaune's. "But I also wanted to get people out the area so they wouldn't be hurt or see something they weren't supposed to. I-I was trying to tell this guy to move, and he started hitting on me. I thought I had more time." Ruby's head fell, her eyes wide, guilty and afraid. "I'm sorry."

Jaune's teeth ached as he grit them together. "You're joking."

"It's our job to push people away," she said weakly. "I had to get him away from the scene."

"And you didn't think to tell him to _fuck off_?"

"I thought I had more time," she whispered. "I didn't want to be rude."

"I don't believe this…"

"Jaune-"

"I don't fucking believe this." His head fell back and he laughed, loud and bitterly. "So, the reason I'm here being hunted by monsters, the reason my life is now ruined, is because you wanted to flirt with some cute boy?"

"No!" she cried. "I wanted to get rid of him but I didn't know how. I thought pulling a weapon would make him call the police, and that would be worse. I didn't expect him to be so insistent and I didn't know what to do. I was embarrassed."

"Meanwhile, someone was being _slaughtered_!"

"I came the second I realised," Ruby said, voice low. "There wasn't supposed to be anyone in the area. I was sure I'd gotten rid of everyone and that the guy was the last. I had time." Her head fell. "I thought I had time. I… I made a mistake…"

Empty? The park _had_ been unusually quiet that night. He must have jogged in while she was distracted. Jaune groaned and ran a hand down his face. Everything, Rebecca and the monsters, all because some twat had decided to try and chat up a girl in a forest. The girl who was supposed to step in and save him _before_ he saw a killing.

"As soon as I realised, I knocked him away," she said quickly, trying to justify herself. "The _instant_ I knew something was wrong. But Yang always says I have to be careful not to let people see what I can do. We have to pretend to be normal, and a normal girl wouldn't just pull a gun on someone like that. Or worse, a scythe!"

"And now I've Awakened…"

"And someone else is _dead_ ," Ruby half-hissed, half-choked. "Don't you think I feel bad enough already?"

Shit.

"You're right. Sorry." Not for accusing her, but for acting like he was the only victim. "This is all kinds of fucked up. I just… I don't need any of this. I'm studying at Eastfield. I have a family. I want to do well, graduate and become a doctor. I'm the weakest student in school, for crying out loud. I don't need monsters and hunters thrown into my life."

"Do you think _I_ wanted them in mine?" Ruby asked hoarsely.

"No…"

"Yeah." She slumped, head coming down to rest on the table. "I didn't. No one does. It's part of the reason why we want to stop others Awakening, because we know how bad it is. I'm fifteen, yet I spend every night out with a gun and a scythe looking for wild monsters to kill. It's not exactly what I thought I'd grow up to be. And I'm sorry," she said, "I… I messed up. I messed up bad. But I can make it right, I'm willing to try and fix it."

"Is that why you spent so much time trying to find me?"

Ruby nodded, the gesture almost lost with her forehead on the table. "I'm responsible for this. I need to make it right."

A lot of good that was going to do now. Jaune's eyes clenched shut as he warred with the feelings inside. There was anger, naturally, but it was so incredibly useless. Mom hadn't raised a son who screamed at a young girl for failing. And that was what she'd done, failed. Not ignored him, not _let_ him get into trouble. She'd just had the temerity to not be perfect, to not succeed at something he was sure he couldn't have done either.

It didn't stop him scowling.

"How do you intend to do that? Fix this, I mean."

Ruby's head rose from the table, perhaps sensing forgiveness, or maybe hoping she could offer enough to win it. "I can help train you," she said excitedly. "I may not look it, but I'm one of the stronger hunters around. I can teach you to fight like me."

Jaune winced. "Yeah? There's just one problem with that."

"What?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"I don't want to fight."

Ruby's mouth fell open. "Huh?"

"I'm not a fighter. I don't intend to fight, nor to get dragged into this."

"B-But you're _already_ involved. You can't just ignore it. They're not going to ignore you!"

"I'm not ignoring the Grimm," Jaune said. "But I'm not fighting them, either. I'll stay here at the night, where it's safe." Even though it was partly her fault, there was something painful about admitting he was going to hide to a girl two years younger than him, who was willing to fight. "It's not like I'd be any use in a fight anyway," he said, trying to explain the cowardice away. "I'd just hold people back."

"O-Oh… Okay." Ruby swallowed and then looked away. "I-I guess that makes sense. I mean, I'm the one who got you into this. No one should say you have to fight."

"Yeah…"

Did she have to sound so uncertain?

"So," Jaune said, searching for something, anything, to say, "What happens now? Not with me. I mean, what happens on a usual day here? How does everything work?"

"O-Oh. Well, it depends on the people. We're not really an organisation or anything, more of… I think Ozpin calls it a `collection of like-minded individuals united by a common goal`. We work together because it makes things easier, but everyone lives normal lives outside it. Some people will be at work or school. Or, you know, not on a weekend, but some might have part-time jobs and others will just be enjoying some time off."

"Being a hunter doesn't pay, then?"

Ruby laughed. "Not when no one knows what you're doing. Ozpin doesn't make us pay for food and drink, so it's not a big deal. Well, not for me and Yang anyway. I guess people with families or bills to pay have it harder."

"I can imagine…"

The Beacon wasn't empty by any means, but it lacked the bustle of the night before. Those that were there drank quietly and were, in general, a little younger than one would have expected to see at a place like this. Not that there weren't a few adults among them, but they kept to the corners, long coats and jackets concealing their forms.

"Is it just me or are there more teenagers here than adults?"

"It's not just you," she said. "Younger people are more likely to Awaken than adults. Ozpin says it's because a child's mind is more open to radical ideas, while older people tend to be more locked into what is and isn't."

"Like how children believe there's a monster under their bed?"

"Yeah." Ruby nodded, and then winced. "Except sometimes they're right…"

Sobering. Very sobering.

"But since most people Awaken young, it's harder to find older hunters," she said. "Not impossible, just less likely. Most of the adults here Awoke when they were teenagers and have just survived long enough to grow older." The way she said it made it clear not everyone had or would.

It made sense, sort of. Both Rebecca and Ozpin had said the Grimm could only perceive those who accepted that their existence _might_ be real. Calling it an exact science was ridiculous, because it was clear science had taken a holiday when it came to this. But people always talking about the imagination of children, how they could see the world differently to adults. Maybe that was because they didn't know better or hadn't learned.

An adult knew that monsters didn't exist because experience, history and science said so.

A child didn't know or understand all of that.

A teenager, though? That had to be somewhere in the middle. Old enough to understand but young enough to still be at least a _little_ willing to imagine. Jaune didn't think he was a paranoid or superstitious kind of guy, but then, the Grimm had _killed_ someone in front of his eyes. It was a little hard to pretend that hadn't happened.

God, how many kids Awakened and were killed? There was no way to tell.

"Either way," Ruby said, "I'll have to go on another hunt tonight, so you should stay here if you want to be safe. Ozpin looks after the place, and there's always at least some hunters here because we run shifts. It's the most protected place in Vale. You might want to ask Ozpin if you can do some work, though."

"Work? I thought you said he didn't charge for food and drink."

"Y-Yeah, but I think that's for people who hunt," Ruby said weakly. "I'm not trying to force you into it, but…"

"No, I get it." It wasn't like he couldn't understand the economics of the situation. "Well, I've got some money, so I can pay for now. What kind of work are you thinking about, though?"

"It's anything you can do. Velvet works behind the bar. She's new," Ruby explained. "She Awakened when her little brother was being attacked. She didn't know what was doing it and couldn't see it, but she _forced_ herself to Awaken to protect him. She doesn't really know how to fight yet, so Ozpin has her working behind the bar at night and they train a little in the day."

"Velvet… forced herself…?"

"Ah, I mean that she forced herself to believe something else might be there," Ruby said. "Kind of like you with the guy who died, except it was worse for her because it was her little brother."

Jaune swallowed. "And the brother…?"

"Safe," Ruby said with a little smile.

"She beat off the Grimm?"

"No. She snatched her brother and ran. Bumped into a hunter by accident, and when he saw the Grimm chasing her, he cut it down. Brought her here."

God, it really was worse than his Awakening. He couldn't even begin to imagine how frightening it must have been, although his mind did a fair job, superimposing the image of his little sister's face over that of the man in the forest. Jaune's stomach rolled. If he could fight, he could stop that…

No. No fighting.

"So, I can work behind the bar?"

"Maybe. You'll have to ask Ozpin later." Ruby bit back a yawn, desperately trying to hide it with both hands. It proved fruitless, however, and footsteps echoed nearby. Blonde hair spilled across the space between them as Yang, the girl from earlier and Ruby's sister, crouched down.

For once, her stern expression was fixed on Ruby, not him. "Time for bed, Ruby."

"B-But Yang. I slept earlier."

"Not enough, obviously." She sighed and regarded Jaune with a flat expression. "It okay if I take her away? We hunters – those of us _willing_ to fight, anyway – need what sleep we can get. A long night awaits."

She didn't like him, that much was obvious. Considering that he was going to sit here safe and sound while she and her little sister risked their lives, Jaune couldn't blame her. He didn't like himself very much at the moment.

"Sure. Thanks for explaining, Ruby."

"N-No problem. And I'm sorry, again."

He didn't say it was okay.

It wasn't.

"I'll see you later."

/-/

When night fell, The Beacon came to life. Hunters streamed in, easily recognisable for their long coats, jackets or hoods. It wasn't a uniform in the conventional sense and they differed wildly in colour and style, but everyone wore something covering, concealing. Whether it was a raincoat, duster or – in some cases – black leather goth coats, every hunter seemed to at least subscribe to the idea of hiding as much of themselves as possible.

Was it to hide weapons? It might have been. Jaune tried to spot the tools of the trade, and in some cases those were obvious, laid out on tables with not a care in the world, but many of them appeared unarmed. Not that they were. He recalled that Yang had a shotgun she kept hidden under her coat. Massachusetts' gun laws weren't so lax that you could literally walk around town armed like that, especially not if you were going to be using them on creatures no one else could see.

To a hunter, they'd be fighting monsters. To anyone else, you had an armed and dangerous man firing wildly into their surroundings. Little wonder they wanted to cover up.

Jaune had moved over to a smaller table after Ruby left, the pub filling up so much that it felt odd to have one guy claiming a four-seater table. He had an empty plate before him, smeared with gravy and the remains of a nice mashed potato and beef dinner. No one had gotten around to collecting his plate, but considering how busy The Beacon was, he couldn't blame them.

Velvet looked overworked as it was. Ozpin was there, but he was clearly doing hunter business – speaking to numerous people, looking over a map pinned to a chalkboard that, in a normal bar, might have had the day's special menu on it. Here, it was a map of Vale, with numerous pins, tags and other items hanging from it.

It was too far away to make out the full conversations, but every now and then he caught snippets. Ozpin was telling people where to go and what to look out for. Patrol routes, as Ruby put it. Not every hunter came to him and Ozpin didn't try to talk to every hunter, but those that did got marching orders. It was all a lot more organised than he'd thought it would be, but in a casual manner. Nothing military, more an understanding between equals. People pooling resources.

It was almost midnight. Ruby and Yang had left an hour or so ago and, despite their not so pleasant conversation before, Jaune had surprised Ruby by wishing her good luck. She'd seemed pleased by that, and he even got a nod from Yang for his effort.

"Are you finished?"

Jaune looked up to see Velvet stood beside the table, a little beleaguered but with a smile on her face. "Yeah, thanks." He picked up the plate for her, which she took with a smile. "My compliments to the chef. It was amazing."

She giggled. "Thanks. My little brother will be grateful."

"Your brother made this?"

"Mhm. He's fourteen. Maybe you'll meet him at some point. He does a lot of the cooking here, though he has a little help."

A fourteen-year-old was the chef? He didn't know what to think about that, but there was no arguing with how good the food tasted. And besides, he'd presumably been doing it for a lot longer than this without complaint. "Well, tell him he does an amazing job. I wish I could cook this well."

"You and me both." Velvet smiled. "I'll tell him. Do you want anything else?"

"No, I'm fine. Actually…" he called, just as she was about to leave. "Ruby told me that you work here. Something about paying back Ozpin. Do you mind if…?"

"If you ask?"

Jaune nodded.

"It's no problem." Velvet held the plate in one hand and adopted a more casual pose. She wasn't dressed like a waitress, instead wearing a brown sweater over a pair of blue jeans. Well fitting, but not a uniform. "It's more of an agreement than anything. Oscar and I are orphans, we lived at an orphanage together, so he's not my real brother."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay. When Oscar Awakened, I didn't know what to think… He was thrashing and screaming, fighting _something_ off. I tried to help him, but the matrons wouldn't believe there was a problem. Oscar had always seen things and they thought he wasn't all there. In the head." She gestured to her skull. "It wasn't until he was really hurt that I Awakened. I saw him bleeding, realised _something_ must have made him bleed, and swung a chair at the space above him. It hit something."

"I couldn't see it at first," she continued. "Ozpin says that when I hit it, I must have believed it was there, and that the impact confirmed it. Suddenly, right before my eyes, there was this _huge_ monstrous spider with giant, dripping fangs. I took Oscar and ran."

"Ruby mentioned you were rescued…"

"Yeah. We were lucky." Velvet shook her head, no doubt remembering those times. "Anyway, we're kind of on the run from the orphanage now. Ozpin doesn't pay us because money isn't worth anything. We work, and we get to live here. He gives us a home, food, protection and anything else we need. I get to keep the tips, too, and I can order things online. It's not a bad deal," she said, shrugging. "Knowing what we do about hunters and Grimm now, it's better than most get."

Jaune supposed it was. Her not being paid might have screamed of forced labour to some, but if she was getting a home for both her and her brother out of it, then it really wasn't. Besides, she seemed more than okay with it.

"Ruby suggested I ask to work here as well," he said. "To pay for Ozpin's protection."

Velvet raised an eyebrow. "You're not going to fight?"

"A-Ah. No." He looked away, suddenly recalling that even Velvet was learning to become a hunter in her free time. No doubt to protect her little brother. "I'm not much of a fighter and… well… yeah. Ruby said I should find another way to be useful."

"Well…" Whatever Velvet thought of him not being prepared to fight, she kept hidden. "I don't mind if you try and work here, too. I'm going to go and hunt eventually, once I'm stronger." She shrugged. "You can ask Ozpin, or maybe ask if he has anything else you can do. It depends on what you _can_ do. Anything to help would be appreciated." Velvet's head darted to the side as someone called her name. "I have to go."

Jaune let her. "Thanks for the advice."

Velvet went back to work, serving another table. The people there smiled at her, tired and hard faces giving way to something a little less stony. It reminded Jaune of some of his Dad's friends, the ones in the military who had seen action overseas. Sometimes, Nicholas would get that look in his face himself, though it would fade the moment he saw them. These people weren't soldiers, but they had the look of them. The posture.

 _I'm not a soldier,_ Jaune thought, hiding his shame in another drink of soda. A soldier signed up, got paid, and often had something to protect, a reason to fight. This was different. At least, he told himself it was.

The door to the pub slammed open. Voices echoed footsteps as a small group bustled in, something clutched between them. Jaune leaned back along with every other person there, fighting for a look at what was happening.

A pain groan sounded from the person in the middle. It was a visceral, agonised sound.

"Quickly, off the table," Ozpin shouted, pushing some people away. They gave room, one of the women there running her hands across the woodwork, throwing glass and cutlery off that smashed on the floor. "Lay him down," Ozpin said. "Careful now. Where's the wound? Alright, on his back. Velvet," he called, "The first aid kit!"

"On it!"

It was a man. He was older but not by much, maybe twenty to twenty-one. His face was pinched, his dark skin drawn back as he hissed. The others with him were holding his arm and shoulder tightly, and blood dripped from his right arm. It ran along the wooden floor. Many of the other patrons watched for a few moments, but went back to their meals, drinks and conversation.

Jaune couldn't. He was amazed the others could act like this was normal – except, he realised, this must be. Medical insurance wasn't cheap, and the hospitals would ask questions, especially if someone showed up with sounds clearly dealt by wild animals, dressed like the hunters were and heavily armed. Worse, those that saw the wounds might start to wonder what caused them.

They might open their minds and risk Awakening.

When Velvet came hurrying back with a green box in her hands, Jaune met her halfway. "I can help."

"What?" She stared at him and shook her head. "Now's not the time!"

"I know first aid. I'm trained."

"Y-You are…?" Velvet was so surprised that she didn't argue when he took the equipment from her and pushed forward, shouldering one of the men aside as he came in beside Ozpin. The old man shot him a serious, almost annoyed glare.

"I'm a trained first aider," Jaune replied, pleased to see it ease. "I'm learning to become a doctor and I've done some courses at the hospital. Extra credit stuff."

"How good?"

"Good enough to have an official qualification. I can't do surgery or anything like that, but first aid, treatment and even stitching are fine." He'd even practiced, though obviously that was on pieces of meat the hospital provided. Animal meat, obviously. The students would cut wounds into it with scalpels and then had to stitch them closed.

Where Ozpin had looked upset before, now he was positively thrilled, "Perhaps we can work out a deal later, Mr Arc."

"I hope so." Jaune looked to one of the man's friends, a large black man with a thick beard. "What happened to him? I need details."

The man didn't even bother asking who he was. "He took a cut to the bicep. Slashing wound from a feline Grimm. Never seen the sort before. It had one big claw instead of four, sharp as a knife." He nodded to one of the other men, who rolled the wounded one's shoulder back, showing the gaping wound.

Jaune winced. It didn't look deep, but it was jagged as all hell. The Grimm hadn't so much cut him as hooked its claw into his skin and _torn_ it open. The blood didn't bother him. Hard to, when his biology courses had seen worse, not to mention his other lessons at the hospital. You couldn't try and become a doctor if blood bothered you. "I need warm water, boiling water and cold water. Towels, too. At least three."

"Velvet!" Ozpin called.

"Y-Yes!"

"Is it bad?" Ozpin asked. I know some first aid, but I must admit to being an amateur.

"It's bad, but I don't think it will be fatal." Jaune pinched the skin, wincing as the man gasped in pain. "There isn't enough blood for it to have gone through an artery and the blood isn't blue enough for a vein." Not that such was a clear guarantee, but he was already inspecting the wound. "Biggest problem is an infection. Do Grimm have bacteria?"

"Considering that they are only partially corporeal, I would say no," Ozpin said. "We've certainly not had any outbreaks of disease. It may have picked something up, however."

"That or his clothing might have gotten in," Jaune said. He rummaged in the first aid kit, drawing out a pair of tweezers, some disinfected gloves and a roll of gauze. "I'll have to get any of that out first and then clean up the wound. This… This may hurt."

The wounded man laughed. "Can't hurt as much as the fucker did when it caught me. Get me back on my feet and I'll buy you a drink, kid."

"I'll do my best," Jaune promised.

/-/

"He's resting now," Ozpin said, coming down from the staircase. He'd sequestered the patient, who Jaune learned was called Chris, in one of the upstairs dorms. "A little rest, some good food and he will be back with us in a few days. Until then, I'll suggest he stay here and allow others to look over the hunt."

"I'm glad," Jaune said, sat at the bar now with a huge pint of beer before him, courtesy of Chris' relieved friends. He felt tired and dirty, even though the gloves had taken the brunt of the blood. Velvet was busy mopping up what remained.

It was strange how easily everyone accepted it. The nearby tables made room for Velvet but didn't seem upset at the blood. In fact, the only thing that looked to have changed at all was that the occasional grimace in _his_ direction had all but disappeared. The hunters hadn't accepted him before, but it looked like that had changed.

"I did not realise you were such a skilled surgeon," Ozpin said.

"I'm not. But I was hoping to study to be one in college." Was hoping. Had been. How could he do that now, when there were no colleges or universities in Vale? "There are requirements for courses like those, a decent grasp of first aid being among them. The local hospital teaches classes and lets people volunteer."

"I've never been more thankful for the fact." Ozpin drew out a stool and sat next to him, for once not working behind the bar or at the map on the board. "We don't make much use of the hospitals ourselves. Too many questions; questions we cannot answer."

"Because no one will believe them?"

"Partly. But also, because we do not _wish_ to make people believe them."

"Ignorance is bliss, huh?" Jaune sighed. "Yeah, I can see that. I'd rather be back in the Dream."

"You and me both. And everyone else here. We don't fight because we want to beat back the Grimm, Jaune. We fight because we want to survive, because we hope to find a way to enter the Dream once more. It's my belief that if we do, the world will be safe from them. No prey would mean no souls entering their side, which seems to be the cause of the weakening boundary."

"So, _we're_ the problem?"

"In a manner of speaking." Ozpin sighed and shook his head.

"Why was he so close to a Grimm anyway?" Jaune asked. "He said it was a cat of some kind… or a tiger judging from the size of that wound. Couldn't he have just shot it? Why get close? Why does Ruby bother with a scythe?"

"Good questions all. The Grimm exist here in a non-physical form, though they can cross over for a moment, become more tangible, if they set their sights on one of us. Even so, it is not _their_ body. It is not a body in any sense of the word." Ozpin stilled. "Tell me, did you stay long enough after Ruby slew the first Grimm to see its body disappear?"

Jaune thought for a second. "I saw a severed limb vanish, but then I ran. It was like… smoke. Smoke with little flecks of black."

"Since the bodies are not real, they vanish once the Grimm is slain. It's a means through which no evidence is left behind, though I doubt they intend it as such. Likely, it is because these bodies do not exist at all. The point becomes particularly pertinent when it comes to combatting them. You are a medic of some ability, Jaune. How would you best slay a man if you had to? Hypothetically, of course."

"Cut the throat." Jaune ran a finger across it. "Or shoot them in the heart, lungs or any other major organs." He caught on a moment later. "They don't have organs, do they? Because this isn't their world, their bodies."

Ozpin nodded. "Guns, I'm afraid, do very little when there is nothing to puncture. If a limb is thin enough, or the Grimm small enough, a shot can sever something and do damage. Even if it doesn't, the sheer _force_ can knock them back, buy a hunter time. And sometimes Grimm are too fast to catch, can fly or climb up the side of a building. A hunter needs a ranged option, no matter how ineffectual it may be."

"Yang uses a shotgun."

"Organs or not, a creature feels that," Ozpin joked. "It buys her time. Sometimes, it can even throw a Grimm back. They are still affected by momentum. It is just that bullets themselves do little. Reducing them via a blade, however, yields better results. Beheading seems to be the most surefire way to defeat them, and we've noticed that iron affects them harder than any other metal. Fortunate for us, since if the stories were to be believed it would be silver. I do not make _that_ much money." Ozpin laughed at his own joke. "As for iron bullets? Even if you hit their eyes, there are no eyes to hit."

"Just those little flames," Jaune said, remembering them.

"A sign of their soul, the soul of a Grimm."

"Yang said something about it meaning a person is Awake on both sides."

"Mhm."

"Does that… Miss Farleigh had glowing yellow eyes." And Blake. "Does it mean they're evil?"

"I could argue morality and ethics, but I shall not bother. It means they have made _contact_ with the other side, either in body or spirit. Such people can be dangerous, but it is not always a guarantee that they will be… of a Grimm nature. Some may be possessed, but there are those who have escaped such a fate."

"If I knew someone like that…"

"I would advise you to be cautious around such a person. Very cautious. But if they have not slain you already, then perhaps there might be more to the story." Ozpin tapped his fingers on the bar. "Do you know such a person?"

Jaune wasn't sure how to answer. Ozpin seemed to realise.

"I see. Even with such people, I would point out that their heritage follows the same _rules_ as the other Grimm. They would be more a danger at night, and little more than a human in any other situation. During a Nightmare, they would be at their strongest. Midday? Well, I daresay they are as strong as you or I."

So, he could confront Blake during the day. Get answers.

It was risky, but better to get it out of the way as soon as possible. If anything went wrong, he could call for help or run back here. _I promised to spend the day with Ren and Nora tomorrow. Or today,_ he realised, looking at his watch. Looked like he wouldn't be getting much sleep. _I can confront Blake after._

Jaune finished his drink, but no sooner had he than another was pushed in front of him by Velvet. When he opened his mouth, she nodded her head to the table the injured man's friends had left to. They all raised their drinks in a salute.

Laughing, Jaune did the same.

"They won't soon forget what you did. Life is cruel for a hunter. All too often, it ends violently."

"I'm glad I could help."

"Would you be willing to offer your services here, Jaune? We have some who know first aid, but only in its most basic terms. Someone who could help patch up our wounded… It could save lives."

"And you'd be willing to put me up while that happens? I don't want to live here, but food, drink and protection?"

"Granted. All of it."

Jaune looked back to his drink. It was heavy and filled with froth, or `head` as they called it. He took a long drink, savouring the bitter taste. It reflected his thoughts well, but in the same way that The Beacon offered sanctity, the bitter lager quenched the thirst he'd worked up stitching the man back together.

Slamming the glass down, he extended a hand to Ozpin.

"Deal."

With a smile on his face, Ozpin shook it.

"Then let me be the first to welcome you, Jaune, to the Hunters."

* * *

 **Well, there's a chapter. I can imagine some might be upset at what they see as a "cop out" reason for Ruby to have let Jaune down, but that's kind of what I was going for. I didn't want it to be something huge or epic like more Grimm, a mugging or even her saving someone from being assaulted. I wanted the normalcy here, the kind of odd contrast between how this is life or death, but they're still just people. Ruby is a superhuman killing machine of sorts, but also a young girl in over her head. When someone acts like that, she gets flustered, and she wasn't sure how to get rid of them, and then she made a mistake.**

 **Because she's just a fifteen-year-old. Things like that happen. No one is perfect.**

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 **Next Chapter: 11** **th** **November**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	8. Chapter 8

**Note is on other fics, but repeating for those who only read this**

 **As those who read White Sheep and Relic will know, I had to rush my mother into hospital after she suffered a heart attack. She is still in there being tested and they're unsure when (or if) she will be able to come home. As such, I am spending time at the hospital every day with her and my writing has and will be impacted until things settle down.**

 **Rather than not update chapters, I'm going to take to writing some slightly shorter ones. Hopefully, this will only impact for a week or so, but it will depend on many things. She may be released come Tuesday or Wednesday, but she may not be.**

 **This is a note to let you all know.**

 **I could take time off writing, but right now I need the distraction it gives. If thing get worse, deteriorate or she dies, I may need a week or two off to recover. I shall let people know if such occurs.**

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 **Secondly, as some have noticed there is a silly little troll trying his luck in the reviews. He posts as "anonymous reviews" but types in someone else's name as the reviewer, hoping to incriminate them. Mostly, he seems to be lashing out at a Mr Grimjaw and Canuck72, but he has also imitated other reviewers, mostly posting half-assed racist comments or trying to provoke arguments. Just ignore it, but also keep in mind that it is NOT the fault of those he pretends to be. They are innocent, and the troll likes to imagine his childish comments will lead to them receiving hate PMs or being banned or something.**

 **For these shorter chapters, I took the idea from a reviewer or two (who said some other author I can't right now remember the name of uses it) to have "Interlude Chapters". Basically, a short chapter which looks at what is going on "outside" the PoV and immediate area of the protagonist.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 8 – Interlude**

* * *

Ruby looked up as a foot scrunched the grass behind her.

"You're up early," Yang said, stood a few feet away with a small bouquet of flowers in hand. She stepped forward, knelt and placed the bouquet down between the two gravestones. They were so close that a passer-by might have mistaken them for one, as Taiyang and Summer would have liked it. "Why didn't you wait for me?"

"Didn't want to wake you," Ruby mumbled.

"It's fine." Yang sat awkwardly, favouring her right leg due to some niggling pain in the other. "You been telling them stories?" she asked. When Ruby nodded, she laughed. "Where are you? Doubt they want to hear me repeat the same stuff."

"I was telling them about what happened the other night."

Yang's smile fell. "You're not still blaming yourself for that, are you?"

"Shouldn't I?"

"No." Yang poked her in the arm. "No, you shouldn't. You saved that idiot's life, which more than makes up for anything else."

"He Awakened because of me."

"He Awakened because he had the potential to," Yang countered. "That's more his fault than yours, and it's not your job to single-handedly prevent every Awakening in the city. You can't hold yourself to something like that. You're only human."

Ruby laughed bitterly. "Am I?"

"You are!" Yang gripped her arm, fingers squeezing tight. "Whatever happened, you're still you, Ruby. I'd know. I'm your sister, after all."

"What if it's all an act?"

"The fact you're asking that shows it's not. Besides, why would you wake up early and come to Mom and Dad's graves if it wasn't you? What would be the point?" When Ruby didn't answer, Yang sighed and threw an arm around her shoulder. "Stop thinking so much about it. I think I'd know my baby sister enough to realise if she wasn't here anymore."

"I… I guess…" Ruby smiled weakly. "But I'm still stronger and faster than most hu-"

"People," Yang interrupted. "Don't say `humans` like you're not one."

"People," she amended. "But I'm strong and faster, so I should have been able to prevent him seeing anything. It wasn't even a case of fast or not, just me being embarrassed like usual." Ruby groaned into her knees.

Yang, on the other hand, laughed, "More proof you're you, huh? You always were awkward."

"Yaaang…"

Her sister's laughter ended, and Yang fell into a more contemplative tone. "Shit happens, Ruby. We know that more than most. Mom and Dad realised it, too. There's not always any justice in the world and it's call you can do to keep on going, keep on surviving. That guy…

"Jaune," Ruby prodded.

Yang accepted it. "Jaune, then. He's not a survivor, not yet. But he'll learn to be. He has to."

"Ozpin says he can be a healer. Like Beacon's personal doctor." Ruby's hopeful smile came back. "That's good, right?"

"It's convenient, sure, but he can't escape the fight forever. I don't mean that as us throwing him into it," Yang defended when Ruby made to argue. "Just that sooner or later he's going to get stuck out at night. Either because he forgets, it gets dark sooner or something else happens. He can't _pretend_ this isn't happening. Even if we plan to use him as support, the support still needs to be able to defend himself."

Ruby bit her lip. Yang was right, but she didn't think Jaune would take an offer of training well, even if she meant it as innocently as possible.

"Could you look out for him?" Ruby asked nervously.

"What?"

"Not at night. He'll be at Beacon then, but… you know, during the daylight hours. At least on the weekdays. You go to the same school he does, so you could keep an eye on him. Make sure he doesn't get into any trouble."

Yang groaned and brought a hand up to her forehead. "Ruby, I _sleep_ through most of the day. I'm barely awake as it is, let alone in a position to babysit him."

"Please…"

"And what am I supposed to do? Handcuff him to me so he doesn't run off? If that one who you fought off him got away, she'll be looking for him too. He's Contracted. She can't just go and find another now, not if the bridge has been crossed."

"That's why I want you to look out for him," Ruby said. "It – she – was his teacher. She might come back to Eastfield." Even if she didn't, she would come back for him. Like Yang said, the ritual had already begun, the connection had been made. She couldn't just ignore that and start over. "It's just until I can find her," she promised. "Until I can find her and make sure he won't be hunted."

"Damn it, Ruby…"

"Please, Yang. Please…"

"Fine, fine." Yang sighed dramatically. "Not like I was ever going to say no to you, but seriously, this is going to be a pain in the ass. Only in school, too. I am _not_ stalking the guy for you. If you want someone to do that, do it yourself, but spare me the sordid details."

Relieved, Ruby laughed. "I will, I promise. N-Not that there would _be_ any sordid details."

"It was a joke, sis. Sheesh." Yang rolled her eyes. "What time is it?"

 _Tick-Tock_

"Twelve-fifteen and thirty-six seconds."

"How long you been here?"

"Two hours, six minutes and thirteen seconds."

"Right." Yang settled down. "I'll stay for an hour or two, talk to them. You can stay if you like…"

Ruby knew Yang didn't want her to. Always the big sister, always the brave one. She didn't like to look weak while Ruby was around, let alone grieve. "It's fine," she said, standing. She pretended not to see Yang's relief. "I need to do something on the high street."

"Shopping? That's not like you."

"Something like that." Ruby didn't mention what she was looking for, mostly because it would have annoyed Yang even more. Besides, it wasn't like she _had_ to know everything her little sister did. "I'll see you tonight, Yang."

"See you later, sis."

/-/

The lupine figure materialised outside the tall, clear window. Its golden eyes pierced through the curtains, fixed on shapes beyond with absolute clarity. Its jaw opened, and yet despite the cool, night air, no mist appeared from it, nor was breath drawn. With little regard for the glass and stone before it, the creature stepped into – _through_ – the wall.

Its clawed feet alighted on the tiled floor. Not really feeling it, causing no indents or whispers of dust despite its obvious size and weight.

The room was simple, elegant. Cream walls gave way to expensive wooden doors painted white, with a single vanity table by the side wall, mirror shattered and shards of glass on the ground, and a chair knocked over. Doors led to an en-suite bathroom on one side, two walk-in wardrobes and the exit. In the centre of the room, its back to one clear wall, was a four-poster bed complete with curtains drawn around it.

Inside, a spark glimmered.

The Grimm, unused to seeing anything, locked in on that spark, eyes alighting, glowing with fire. Almost against its own will – though it would not have resisted if it could – the Grimm hurried towards the bed, its large chest rising and falling. Claws reached out to tease the curtains apart.

They bulged outward.

The curtains collapsed back, enfolding the Grimm. It roared its surprise and lashed out wildly, but unable to see past, to the shape within, its claws met naught but air and cloth, the latter of which it tangled itself within.

It fell, and a weight landed upon it, a spark given form of a girl with wild hair and pale eyes bloodshot and ringed with shadow. In her hand, she gripped a kitchen knife that rose high and fell, piercing into its chest, beneath the heart.

The Grimm roared.

The girl screamed. Not in pain, not in fear, but sheer, ragged fury.

Again and again, the knife rose and fell, splashing the Grimm's blood upon the floor, the curtains, her night gown, her pale skin, her white hair. The beast's struggles began to weaken as the knife drove down and down, tearing great chunks from its chest as if she were digging for treasure. With a final huff, a desperate exhale, the Grimm fell still.

The girl collapsed atop it, sobbing.

Her eyes streamed, both with tears of relief and pain. They were desperate to close, to sleep. But when the monsters came every night, how could she? How could she close her eyes and surrender herself, and what nightmares would await if she could?

Footsteps echoed outside the door. It slammed open, two maids entering, followed by a tall, imperious man. They looked around the room, but it was the man's eyes who settled on her first and narrowed dangerously.

"Weiss," he snarled, striding forward. His hand snapped out, catching her wrist, the one with the knife. He twisted it, and Weiss let go when a bolt of pain lanced down her arm. Her body was already weak from lack of sleep and the stress. "What is this? What madness has gotten into you?"

"B-But…" Weiss looked down to the body of the beast she'd slain, hoping against all hope it would prove the truth to her father.

It was gone. There was no monster there. No blood, no body, just her, the ruined bed and a knife, along with numerous cuts, holes and tears in the curtain.

A frustrated sob escaped her.

"This is ridiculous!" Jacques Schnee howled, shaking her painfully. "The midterms are just months away and the media are going to have a field day if they hear about this." His eyes snapped to the maids'. "Not a word from either of you. If you talk, I'll make sure you're left without a dollar to your names. Understand?"

The two women nodded fearfully. Weiss knew they would not help her.

After all, they thought she was insane.

But she had to try. "F-Father, it was-"

A ringing slap struck her cheek, shocking and silencing her. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes.

"Enough, Weiss! I've had enough of your tales, enough of your… your _attention seeking_. The doctors can't find anything wrong with you, which means this is just a childish cry for attention. That, or your problems run even deeper. This is going to play _hell_ with my being re-elected." The last part he said in a murmur, hardly paying her attention at all.

Not that she'd thought for a moment he might care.

"You can't stay in New York. Bad enough you're waking me up every night, but someone is bound to talk when the campaigns start. I won't have you cost me everything I've sacrificed to achieve, not because of some silly night terrors. I'd have you _sectioned_ if I didn't think it would reflect on me. As it stands, you need to be out of the way, out of the limelight." Jacques pondered for a moment. "Yes, perhaps some fresh air and new surroundings will do you well."

It wouldn't, Weiss knew.

Wherever she went, whatever she did, they came back the moment night fell. They would hunt her, and sooner or later, she wouldn't be able to stay awake long enough to see them coming. Her body already felt weak and she'd lost weight. Her bones were nearly cracking in her father's grip.

Not for the first time, Weiss considered just going to sleep.

Let them kill her.

Perhaps it would be painless…

 _Tscchhh – Clink – Clink_

The sound of a mirror shattering echoed in her head, along with shards of glass clinking against the floor. It had all begun when those sounds had, when she'd seen something – _someone_ – reflected in her own mirror behind her.

Since then, she could not bare to look in the mirror.

"Vale," Jacques decided. "We have the holiday home there. You'll stay there, and I'll have the staff keep you prisoner if I have to. Out of sight, out of mind. And perhaps if you learn such displays aren't rewarded, you'll stop with this nonsense…" He shook his head. "Monsters in the night, knives, mirrors… children a _third_ your age stop believing such foolishness!"

"T-They're real."

With a snarl, Jacques threw her down. Weiss' hands slapped against the tiles. Pain shot through her palms and she bit back a cry.

"Get her packed and ready to leave," he said to the maids. "And keep her away from any knives. I want her gone before midday tomorrow. I won't have another night's sleep interrupted."

With that said, Jacques stormed from the room.

Weiss' face fell as the maids scurried around, gathering the ruined curtains, picking out her bags. Neither of them dared to come near her, or even to look her way, let alone talk to her. They all thought she was mad. They thought she was touched in the head, diseased.

"I haven't gone insane," Weiss gasped.

The maids flinched but looked away. In Weiss' head, a mirror shattered.

 _Tscchhh – Clink – Clink_

Her eyes clenched shut.

"I'm not insane! I'm not!"

* * *

 **Not much to go on here, mostly because there aren't that many alternative PoV's at the moment, and I didn't want to give any key lore away just yet. Hinted at some things, teased a new character but avoided Blake for lore reasons, and Ren and Nora because they'll be in the chapter where Jaune goes shopping, and also because they are completely normal humans.**

 **Any PoV from them would have just been everyday stuff.**

 **Update on my mother is that she "may" be having an operation Monday, but it can only be a maybe, because there's just no telling if someone won't come in who is literally "live or die" on the operation, who would need it first. She was nil by mouth Friday in prep for it, but someone came in who was critical, so she lost that opportunity.**

 **We're hoping she will be able to have it Monday or Tuesday, but for now she has to stay in a ward hooked up to monitors. I spent three or so hours with her yesterday, and will be going today as well.**

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 **Next Chapter: 18** **th** **November**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	9. Chapter 9

**Back to normal chapter lengths as my mother came out of hospital not cured per se, but safe to be released, albeit on heart attack risk. Best you can ask for! Thanks for putting up with a short interlude last week, even if it gave me a chance to introduce Weiss a chapter or two earlier than anticipated.**

 **Troll still lurks in reviews imitating people and trying to get them in trouble. Ignore him.**

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 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 9**

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"You look terrible."

Jaune half-heartedly glowered at his friend. "Thanks, Ren. Nice to see you, too."

"I mean it, Jaune. You look like you haven't slept a wink." Ren was dressed in a pair of black slacks, a white shirt and black sneakers, and somehow _still_ managed to look like he was ready for school. Nora had yet to show, though it was only a matter of time with her.

"I may have been out last night."

"Out?" Ren tested the word. "As in, out for another dangerous late-night jog?"

"No. At a bar."

"You!?" Ren's eyebrows rose so high they all but disappeared into his hair.

"I'm not _that_ much of a shut in, Ren."

"No, but I also didn't think you were old enough to drink either. Mostly because I know you're not." He didn't ask how Jaune got in, since even if they were both seventeen, it wasn't like neither had touched alcohol before. "Was there a reason for it? Were you having nightmares again?"

The word `nightmare` made him flinch, something which Ren caught, even as he said, "No. Not last night."

"Is that a no because you were awake all night?"

"Give it a rest, Ren."

"I'd say the same to you, except with your body. Come on, let's get a cup of coffee down you before you collapse. Nora will find us. Of that I've no doubt."

Ren led him off the street corner and away from the bus stop they'd been waiting at. Vale had numerous small diners and cafes, but Ren was the kind of guy who couldn't abide eating at a chain. Jaune might have called him a hipster, but it was more than Ren was health conscious and preferred his drinks better prepared. They found a small diner and sat outside.

"I'll get you something," Ren said, "You keep an eye out for Nora. God knows, if she thinks I'm trying to avoid her, I'll never hear the end of it."

"You should just bang her," Jaune called teasingly, laughing as Ren flashed him the middle finger and headed into the diner. "Heh." He shook his head, and then slouched a little. "Ugh. I'm exhausted."

The night had been a long one, even after the first person he'd tended to. There hadn't been as many injured as he'd expected, at least not seriously injured. Some came back with scrapes, cuts or bruises but they mostly looked after themselves, just asking for a plaster or some help tying a bandage around their arm. There had only been two others who needed more, one just to disinfect and treat a wound, the other to pull a shard of glass out his leg and stitch it shut.

It was nothing compared to the horror Jaune knew lay ahead. He'd volunteered and done work experience in hospitals to know how busy they got, and this was nothing in comparison. But at the same time, he hadn't been prepared for it and had already been running around on a lack of sleep from the night before. Now, he was crashing, and the five-hour power-nap he'd taken earlier hadn't done much to help. Maybe the caffeine would.

 _Still, I'm safe. That's something. Another night gone and I didn't see a single Grimm._

Not in its corporeal form, anyway. Jaune pointedly kept his eyes averted from a glimmering, shadowy mist flowing past the diner. Even if Ozpin promised they couldn't see him in the daytime, it didn't stop his heart hammering in his chest.

A squeal of tyres tore his attention back to reality, a motorbike hurtling by. With it, the hum of chatter and footsteps came back as a horde of people crossed the road. It was a normal day, with no one even reacting to the monsters that had roamed the streets less than twelve hours earlier.

Ren came back after a minute, placed two Styrofoam cups, a plastic packet of cookies and a croissant down on the table. "Here, eat up," he said. "I can tell you've not had anything."

"How?"

"Because you're staring at the food like a dying man. Go on, it's on me."

"Thanks." Jaune took the croissant and bit into it ravenously. Stodgy, soft and airy, the bread was still warm and fresh from the oven. He washed it down with a sip of coffee, sighing as the caffeine kicked in and made the world seem just a little more tolerable. "I needed that."

"I can tell. Is it about what happened before…?" Ren was fishing, but he did it out of concern.

"It is," Jaune admitted, wanting to be at least a little honest, even if he knew he could never tell Ren the truth. Not without risking him being dragged into this. He wouldn't be that bad a friend. "Don't worry, I think I've found a solution. And not a dangerous one," he added when Ren's eyes narrowed. "I think things will be back to normal come Monday."

"Glad to hear it." Ren let it go, though he did lean in a second later, "Although I'm not sure things will be as easy as you think. Have you heard about Eastfield?"

"Nothing other than what I told you. Is the police investigation still going on?"

"It's over for now. You'll have an email waiting from the faculty telling you school is back on. It's about what they _found_ , though. I only heard about it online, so take it for what it's worth, but rumours are that someone saw Miss Farleigh in the school before the explosion."

 _Drip-Drip_

Jaune's hands stilled on the cookies. Before…? Had they seen him? Was he in trouble? After a second to panic, he forced himself to move, picking one up and putting it in his mouth. He chewed woodenly. "Yeah?"

"It's what I heard. I'm not sure how much is true, but someone claiming to know where she lives said the lights were off all day and night, and that he hasn't seen her since. It could be that she's gone on holiday or something, but the timing seems convenient." Ren shrugged. "I guess we'll know come Monday if she's not there."

"Hmm." Jaune swallowed the cookie; it tasted of ash. "I guess we will."

A pair of arms crossed over the top of Jaune's head, leaning on his hair as a tuft of orange hair fluttered before his eyes. Nora, with no regard for his collarbone, leaned down, resting her chin on Jaune's hair. "You left me," she grumbled.

Ren sipped his coffee. "We're not two hundred yards from the bus stop we promised to meet at."

"Did you at least buy _me_ a drink?"

A bead of sweat ran down Ren's forehead.

"I… did not…"

Nora growled.

Five minutes later found the three of them walking down the street. Nora clung onto Jaune's left arm happily, her shoulder brushing against his as she hummed happily, half-dragging him along. She'd worn a cream top and a pink skirt over black leggings, along with a pair of boots that looked far too industrial for the rest of the outfit. Despite that, she was still drawing attention, Nora's personality so bubbly that she shone no matter what she wore.

Ren, sadly, wasn't getting to enjoy that, being in the doghouse as he was. He trailed behind a few steps, looking more amused than upset.

"So, boyfriend," Nora said, smiling at _Jaune_ and making it clear exactly who she meant. "What will you and I and _no one else_ do on our lovely date?"

"You know, if you want to use me to make Ren jealous you should ask him ou-owwww!"

Nora took her foot off Jaune's and smiled sweetly. "What was that?"

"N-Nothing, Nora."

"Ahem?"

"Nothing, my most beautiful girlfriend for a day?"

"That's better."

There was no arguing with Nora when she got it into her head to do something. Luckily, he wasn't blind enough to have not noticed Nora's attraction to Ren, so he didn't let the temporary upgrade from best friend to boyfriend go to his head.

Even if he did enjoy having her on his arm.

There were more benefits to Nora than just that, however. One of the easiest reasons was that Nora wasn't like any other girls he'd been out with, or like his sisters or any girls he knew at all. Her hobbies more closely aligned with his and Ren's, and not in a `I'm humouring you` kind of way.

"Ooh, we should go to the arcade. I heard they got some new machines there. Or maybe the movies."

"If we go to the cinema, Jaune will fall asleep," Ren warned.

"Who said that? Did you hear someone complete stranger say anything, boyfriend?"

Ren sighed. "I _said_ sorry."

"Maybe it's a ghost," Jaune teased.

Nora gasped and clung to him tightly. "It must be!"

"You're both being childish…"

"Not as much as some betraying, girl-stand-upping, non-coffee-buying meanie," Nora said cheerily. "If such a despicable person were to exist within a ten-metre radius of us at all. You'd defend me from such a monster, wouldn't you, Jaune?"

"I suppose I'd have to. But like the ghosts say, I'm not in the mood for a movie. Arcade sounds good, though. What do the spirits on the other side say?"

"Arcade is fine," Ren said with a roll of the eyes.

/-/

If there was one thing to say about Nora's temper, it was that it burned hot and bright. Ren got the cold shoulder for an hour or so, a record from Nora's perspective, but the moment she got into a game with him, it was forgotten, replaced with determination to beat Ren on the DDR machine. A small crowd had gathered to watch, partly for the high score, mostly for what the erratic dancing did to Nora's figure.

Ren won, of course. Calm, collected but for some unknown reason fiercely competitive on the dance machine, Ren turned, smiled for the audience and bowed. Jaune applauded, along with most of the other people there.

"Next time," Nora growled as she got down. "You have to be cheating. You have to be."

"I'm simply a better dancer."

"Oooh!"

"Another time," Jaune said, cutting in before Nora could challenge him to go again. "You'll be covered in sweat if you get up there a second time, and then you'll want to go have a shower and we'll not get to play anything else."

"Yeah, yeah. You're right." Nora grinned up at him. "What did you think of my dancing?"

"It was a nice view."

Nora slapped his arm, catching on immediately. She didn't blush, never did, but she laughed and told him off for looking anyway, then dragged him off to a gun game, House of the Zombies of the Dead or something. It had zombies and guns, and so was pretty much a staple at every arcade ever. "Ren, get us some drinks," she called, "And don't forget this time or I'll never forgive you."

"Pepsi?"

"NO!" Nora howled. "Co-" She cut off as she noticed Ren's smile. "You're on thin ice, mister." Ren chuckled and walked off, headed for a vending machine as Nora slipped some tokens into the game to get them started.

If there was one thing to say about the arcade, it was that the constant flashing lights and janky music kept him from feeling tired. Thankfully, the zombie game was far enough removed from his own nightmare that he didn't feel any panic playing it. As the screen moved through some ratty town in various shades of grey stone and brown wood, the two clicked their brightly-coloured plastic guns at the zombie monstrosities.

"Are you okay?" Nora asked once they were alone. "You look really tired."

"You too? Am I that obvious?"

"Kind of." She laughed. "You've never been very good at hiding things. It's one of your charms."

"One of? I have more…?"

"You make a mean sandwich."

"So cruel." Jaune winced as a flying axe caught his screen, splashing it with red. He slipped a token in and re-joined before Nora could be bogged down. "It's been a rough weekend. Don't worry, I'm working my way through it."

"Hmm. You know I'll help if you need it."

Jaune smiled, though even though he felt a rush of affection he didn't dare look away from the screen. "Thanks, Nora. It's just all the shit that's been going on lately, though. I promise. I'll be fine once school starts, and everything is back to normal."

Life would change, as it inevitably did, and he wouldn't be free to spend his nights as he wished, but those were small sacrifices to make. Even if he had to stay up and work at The Beacon, he could adapt, make it easier. Go to bed sooner, after school maybe, and then wake up at night, work and do homework at The Beacon and then catch a few more hours before the next day came around.

It would be a pain to work out, but it _would_ work, and that was what mattered. There was no ideal option, just the option that worked.

More than anything, Nora and Ren's casual attitude confirmed they weren't Awakened. Everyone he'd met so far had been able to tell what was going on quickly, and whenever he'd been around Ruby, Blake and even Rebecca, the dripping noise in his head got louder. There was none of that here, and both of them were too rested, too relaxed, to have been active hunters last night.

He wasn't sure if he was relieved or not. On the one hand, his friends were safe. On the other, he was more alone than ever, even when he was out with them.

"Psttt," Nora leaned in to whisper, "Don't react, but there's a girl who's been watching you for the last fifteen minutes."

"There is?" Jaune's head, despite Nora's clear instructions, began to swivel. He cringed when Nora dug an elbow so deep into his side she almost came out the other end.

"I said don't react! Geez…"

"K-Kinda hard not to when you say it like that," he coughed, coincidentally failing to stop a zombie taking a bite out his screen. Nora dealt with it, even while her eyes were fixed elsewhere. "F-Fine. Is it a `I hate that guy` kind of stare?"

"Pft, you think I'd tell you about that? It's totally a `I'm trying to not look like I'm obviously watching that guy` look. Now it's sort of a `Oh God, she's noticed` look, and now she's running. Aw, that's cute."

Jaune's brow twitched. "Nora, what's the point of telling _me_ not to react and be obvious, if you're going to do it anyway?"

"What's up?" Ren asked, returning with three cans.

"Jaune has a secret admirer."

"Oh?"

"Had," Jaune said petulantly. "Nora scared her off,"

"Ah. Here." Ren handed over a can of coke, fully caffeinated, which Jaune cracked open and took a swig of. More caffeine. More goodness. Nora did the same, stepping down off the game and allowing their characters to meet a grisly end.

"Thanks, Renny."

"I've told you to stop calling me that."

"Sure thing, Renny." Nora peeked around his shoulder, no doubt trying to find the girl she'd mentioned. "Aw, she's gone. I swear she couldn't take her eyes off you, Jaune. Just, like, completely staring at you."

Something tickled at the back of his mind, but he pushed it away. Instant panic told him it might be Rebecca Farleigh, but that was impossible. Ren and Nora knew her by name and face, so she wouldn't have called her a girl.

"What did she look like?" he asked. "Not black hair with a hoodie, was she?"

Nora and Ren looked his way. Nora's grin grew. "Anything we should know?"

"No. Just… It's my neighbour in my apartment block. We don't get on. Like, at all. I was worried she might be coming to glare at me." Or finish the job she'd started earlier. Then again, he couldn't imagine Blake setting foot in an arcade. "Forget it. What did she look like?"

"Pale face, dark hair but not black, cute. Little younger than us, but still within the golden rule."

Ren palmed his face. "Nora…"

It wasn't much to go on, but it didn't sound threatening either. The last traces of fear drifted away and Jaune laughed, more embarrassed at the attention than anything. "Maybe she was just waiting for the machine, or maybe she wanted a go. Who knows."

"I do, because she was _totally_ checking you out. I'm a girl. I know these things."

"You can tell when girls are interested?"

"I can tell when a girl is literally checking a guy out, sure. What, you think _I've_ never done it?"

Jaune looked to Ren meaningfully. "No, I'm sure you've checked _a_ guy o-" He trailed off when Nora's foot settled over his in a clear warning. Her smile was bright and cheery, her heel was not. "But you probably know more than I do," he said, sagging when the foot was removed. "Not that it matters. She's gone now."

"She'll be back."

Jaune sighed. "You can't possibly know that."

Nora shook a finger under his nose. "Jaune, she's not going to go through all the trouble of watching you just to be scared off by someone looking her way once. I didn't even give her a jealous girlfriend look." Her face lit up as she had an idea. "I know, you and Ren go play something. I'll hide."

"Nora, we're not laying an ambush for some- and she's gone," Ren said, groaning as Nora ran away giggling. "I pity the poor girl, Jaune. I really do."

"Me too." But not quite enough to get between Nora and her latest plan. Such was a fool's game. He'd faced monsters, demon-possessed school teachers and more. He wasn't going to chance it with Nora.

Neither was Ren, apparently. "Racing game?"

"Sure."

/-/

Nora's ambush didn't yield any results, which Jaune was honestly a little grateful for. It could have been all kinds of awkward, especially if his bombastic friend was wrong. It didn't stop Nora pouting, and not even another two hours on the machines, a late lunch and a couple of ice-cream cones were enough to fully dim her mood.

"Sorry Jaune, looks like she gave me the slip."

"It's fine, Nora." he said around a mouthful of mint-choc-chip. "There's always – hm – next time."

"You're not normally so accepting of her attempts to set you up with people," Ren pointed out. There was a definite hint of suspicion there, and judging from Nora's careful look, she'd seen it too and was just as worried.

"Well, it wasn't embarrassing for me this time since the girl made a run for it. Last time, Nora literally asked a girl in our class whether she'd date me and made her answer in front of me and all her friends." He glowered at his friend. "Thanks for that, by the way…"

"She'd have totally said yes if all her friends weren't there."

"Hm, I guess it is a little different." Ren relented just a little, accepting the excuse. "Sorry if I'm being a little paranoid…"

"You're worried, it's fine." Jaune nudged his best friend's arm with his own and grinned. "And I'll be fine, too. It's just been a hectic weekend."

"I suppose it has. Sometimes it's hard to remember it was only Thursday you saw that body. I guess a rough weekend is fair trade." Ren came to a halt at the bus stop. He and Nora would have to take a bus back, though Nora would need to get off a stop early to dodge Ren's parents. He'd never understood their issue with Nora, but it was there and neither Ren nor Nora seemed willing to address it. They were content to sneak around it.

"Guess we'll see you tomorrow," Nora stepped forward to give him a hug. Jaune returned it. "And if I see that girl again, I'll try and get her number."

"Nora, please don't assault some poor girl," Ren said.

"I make no promises."

Jaune laughed and waved them off, making sure not to leave until the bus pulled out of sight. Nora would have only told him off Monday for doing so. Once they were gone, he let his hand fall and let out a breath. That… It hadn't been as bad as he'd dreaded, to be honest. Exhausted as he was, it had been fun to hang out with his friends and do something normal for a change. A breath of fresh air.

 _I guess Ozpin was telling the truth,_ he thought, _Once the sun is up, life goes back to normal._

Well, as close as back to normal as was possible for someone like him. He could still make out Grimm in their gaseous, incorporeal forms, and was surprised at how quickly he'd adapted to ignoring them, not even cringing as he walked through one. They couldn't harm him.

But there was someone who could, and that person was probably still waiting at his apartment. Yet again, Jaune considered heading straight back to the Beacon, but shook the thought off. If Mrs Mars didn't see him and he basically abandoned his apartment, she'd contact his parents to make sure he was okay. That way led questions, and those questions he couldn't answer.

Ozpin had implied Blake would be helpless during the day, or at least as human as anyone else.

"Time to face the music…" He rubbed his arms and shivered. "It would have been nice to bring a Hunter along. Should have asked someone…"

 _Drip-Drip_

"Yeah, I know."

His apartment block was less than ten minutes away but it took fifteen, mostly because he dragged his feet. There was no telling if she'd even be in. Or if she was, whether she would be awake. If she followed the same nocturnal sleeping patterns of the hunters, she'd probably be resting now – which made sense if she was weaker during the day. Jaune found his mind wandering off the vampires, which earned a laugh. It might have been easier if Blake was an angsty, sparkly vampire. Instead, she was some kind of extra-dimensional monster in human form.

The outside of the apartment block was quiet. Not empty, because Mrs Mars was there tending to her flowerbed and someone was outside chatting on their cell, but Blake was nowhere to be seen. She wasn't keeping vigil like she had the day before.

He hovered nearby just in case, scanning the staircase up to the first floor and the walkway leading to his and her rooms. Nothing. Some clothes out on lines, but no Blake. Cautiously, Jaune made his way forward.

"Oh, hello Jaune," Mrs Mars called. "How are you doing today?"

"I'm fine, thanks, Mrs Mars."

"Did you hear about that storm? Oh, who am I kidding, of course you did. Terrible business. Nothing like that ever happened in our day."

The electro-magnetic storm, the Nightmare. "Yeah. Crazy, huh?"

"Blake was asking about you earlier, you know," the old woman said suddenly. Her face drew into a frown. "You should be careful, Jaune. Not all girls are the kind you want to be around, and I know you have your studies in Eastfield. You've got your whole life ahead of you, so don't get distracted by girls now."

Shit. She was still looking for him. "I won't, Mrs Mars."

"Mark my words, boy, she's not the sort you want to be involved with, no matter how pretty she looks. Not that I'd let some ruffian stay here, but it wouldn't surprise me to hear if she was involved with something she shouldn't be."

Mrs Mars didn't know the half of it. "I'll keep my wits about me, Mrs Mars. And I'm not intending to get into any relationships at the moment."

"Good boy. Run along now. Don't let an old lady keep you busy!"

The steps creaked underfoot as he made his way up. No one else reacted to them, used to the noise, but each one made Jaune flinch. His hand gripped the railing, eyes trailing over it. The fall wouldn't be too bad, so it was an escape route if he needed it. He'd almost managed to outrun a Grimm during the Nightmare, so he was confident he could escape Blake if he had to. If she tried anything. There was no reaction from her door, still closed, as he made his way forward. His own had been shut, too, despite that he'd left it open.

Testing the handle, he found it unlocked. With a nervous breath, he inched it open. It was dark inside, empty.

 _Drip-Drip_

The back window was still in one piece, a surprise since he'd expected Blake to smash through it. The lock was bust, though, that much he could see. She'd forced her way in. Not taken anything, though. A few cushions were on the floor and his chair was on its side, but it looked more like she'd tripped over it than kicked it down. Blake must have been in her own apartment still. He'd been lucky.

It occurred to him suddenly that he had no idea how to deal with Blake if she _was_ violent. According to Ozpin and Velvet, guns were of little use because the Grimm didn't have organs, but Blake was human, or in a human body. She'd die if she was shot. Maybe. It didn't help much since he didn't have a gun.

 _Drip-Drip_

He moved to the kitchen instead, opening a drawer and pulling out a thick knife with a sharp point. The handle felt cold in his sweaty palms, but it would do. Grimm were weak to iron, and humans were weak to sharp things. He'd cut himself enough time chopping vegetables to know that. Was he really prepared to stab someone in his apartment?

No.

But he was prepared to die even less.

The door's lock clicked.

 _Drip-Drip_

Jaune stiffened. It lasted a second. Panic kicked in and he spun, knife flashing in front of him to ward off an attack. Golden eyes watched him from behind the door – she'd been hidden behind it when it opened. Those eyes weren't glowing anymore, but they were still unnatural.

Blake eyed the knife with something between amusement and wariness. "Do you intend to use that?"

"If you make me."

"I'm unarmed." Blake slowly brought her hands up, revealing her empty palms. Jaune didn't put the knife down. "I can understand why you're alarmed, but I would point out that I could have attacked you from behind the moment you entered if I wanted to. You wouldn't have noticed a thing."

"That's not making me feel any calmer here."

Her eyes narrowed. "No, I suppose it wouldn't. Then again, I'm surprised you're nervous at all. You know what I am."

"I do…?"

Blake paused. It was a noticeable moment of doubt. "You… don't…?"

"I know about the Grimm," he snapped, "I know about the Dream, the Awakened and everything else. I don't know what you are, but-"

"You're Awakened…? But I thought you were already-" She trailed off. Her eyes narrowed. "Hm."

"What is it? You knew what I was a few nights back, when you tried to kill me. Or are you going to say you weren't."

"No. I was."

F-Fuck. Just like that? Jaune's breath caught in his throat, though he forced himself to continue breathing. The knife wavered, so he brought up another hand, gripping it with both. "Why?" he gasped. "Why try and kill me?"

"Instinct. Primal urges. It was not by choice." Blake regarded him through one eye, tilting her head to the side. "I've lived beside you for months now and never tried to harm you, but you Awakened in front of me, in the midst of a Nightmare. The allure was too much. It was a moment of weakness, I'm normally more composed."

"Am I supposed to believe that!?"

"You could ask your friends," she suggested. "You must have found them, otherwise you wouldn't be alive still, and in control of your own body. They could tell you how many Nightmares there has been in the last three months alone. You've lived through numerous unawares and I've never preyed on you during them."

"Grimm can only see the Awakened."

"Normal Grimm, yes. But I have human eyes and a human body. I can see you easily."

Shit, she was right. Blake had interacted with him before. Never in any significant way, but she could see and act around him, so she wasn't like normal Grimm. "What _are_ you?" he asked. "What manner of creature are you?"

"Biologically, I am human. Psychologically, spiritually… well, you call us Grimm. We don't really have any such term for ourselves. I'm a little _different_ to the kind you've been seeing, however. They're more like wild, mindless beasts. I have my own mind, my own intellect."

"A-And what of the person _she_ used to be," he said, gesturing to Blake's body. Rebecca – or the creature masquerading as her – had told him how the _real_ Rebecca Farleigh had once existed, which meant someone did here, too. "What of the real Blake Belladonna?"

"Lynne," she said.

"What?"

"Lynne Carpenter. That was her name."

He swallowed. "Was…?"

"Blake Belladonna is _my_ name, my identity. As for her… she died years ago. She encroached on my domain, wandered into my glade, my home."

"You… killed her…?"

Blake spread her arms. "Her body is still here, isn't it? You don't understand, I can see. You kill the Grimm that come over into your plane of existence. Well, I was content in mine, my glade, my home. Lynne, however, decided she would come and visit, intrude."

"We're crossing over into your world?"

"A piece of you is…"

"The soul…" The piece of the soul that Rebecca had told him about, the cause for the weakened barrier. The souls were going both ways, the Grimm appearing in the real world were souls from _their_ dimension, whereas the souls of the Awakened – or bits of them – were also in _their_ world.

"You know that much at least. Yes, a piece of our soul crosses over, mostly unnoticed, intangible. But Lynne's was different. Much like a Grimm becoming solid here, her soul became more… real in our world. It wandered into my domain and, much like how you slay the Grimm who come into yours, I did the same with her." Blake didn't look bothered by the casual murder. "You're judging me for that, aren't you? Typical. You don't seem to have any problem killing _our_ people who cross over. Why should we accept it the other way around? If one person could reach my Glade, others could. I defended my home."

"And now you have her body…"

"Not exactly something I anticipated. Once I devoured her soul, it created a… bridge, for the lack of a better word. Her soul in this world winked out, was destroyed. The body was left with its strings cut. Even had I not stepped in, Lynne Carpenter would have died. _Is dead_ , in any way that matters." She shrugged. "Now, I exist in both worlds. I am Awake in both worlds."

"And if you lose that body?" Jaune asked, brandishing the knife.

"Then the body dies. My soul – and my real body – are fine. But there's little point in killing me. I have a body here, which means I'm not like the other Grimm. I don't need to eat anything over here, since this body sustains me. It's why I never bothered to try and kill you before. I didn't need to. In fact, I've been protecting the people in this area."

"Protecting…?"

"Of course. Don't you remember how you found me? Stood outside your door over the body of a fallen Grimm. I didn't realise why it wanted to enter so badly, but I do now. It was coming for you. It was hunting you."

The scratching on the door – scratching because the door had a core of iron, along with the walls. It hadn't been able to sneak through, though it could have the windows, if it had thought to go around the back. Sooner or later, it would have found a way. Which meant Blake _had_ protected him, saved him before the hunters found him.

If not for her, the Grimm would have burst through the door and slaughtered him.

"Why help us…? Why should I believe you'd do that?"

"Why not? My body and soul are safe. I don't need to kill, and with this body I get to experience life in two worlds at once." Blake smirked. "That's interesting. More interesting than sitting in my Glade for all eternity. But if the Grimm break through, this world will become a reflection of my own. That would be… dull."

"Dull?" Jaune snapped. "You're doing this because you're bored? This is life and death for us, you realise!"

"Are you expecting human empathy from me? Do you care about the suffering of pigs, cows and the other animals your kind slaughter en masse for meat, fur or even just entertainment? Don't be silly. None of this is real to me." She waved around her. "Or it is, but it lacks consequence. I could die right here and all I'd lose is access to this world. If another wandered into my Glade, I could come again, but I would not be _bothered_ by the loss."

Which explained why she didn't care for the knife held between them. Even if he could cross the distance and get through her guard, her life wasn't in danger.

His, on the other hand…

"Are you going to try and kill me now?"

Blake shook her head quickly. "No."

"Why not?"

"Apart from the fact it would serve no purpose, it would invite disaster. The police would investigate, forcing me to flee this abode. The hunters might be clued in, causing them to hunt me. But worse than that, someone has staked a claim on your soul." She shook her head sadly. "The hunters could only harm this body, but _He_ could ravage my Glade and destroy me entirely."

"He? And what do you mean about my soul?"

"I already told you, it's the piece of your soul in our world. Someone has staked a claim on it. Someone is hunting it."

No…

"How do I stop them?"

"You don't."

"How can I stop it!?"

"You can't."

Her evasion pissed him off. He lunged in, aiming to grab her by the collar and drag her face close to his, just to show her how serious he was. Her eyes flashed at the last second, however. Before he could pull back, before he could remember just _what_ she was, she was already moving. Her hand caught his, twisted and slipped the knife from his grip. Her shoulder hit his body, knocking him back. She stepped into his guard, flashed the knife, and then _slammed_ it down into the chopping board on his kitchen side.

Then, she stepped back, hands empty once more. "Like I said, I've no intent to invite my own destruction by attacking you anymore. Last time was a moment of weakness. You can stay here. You're in my domain now, and I guard it jealously. It's not my Glade, but, well, call it an instinctual thing."

Jaune slumped back on his bed, rubbing his wrist. "What about my soul…?"

Blake regarded him for a moment. "I'm not entirely without pity, Jaune. Your soul is fine for now. You would certainly know if it wasn't, but someone has placed a mark on it." She sniffed the air. "I can smell salt water and brine. A deep ocean. The scent clings to you. You're still alive, though, so your soul must be incorporeal still, like the Grimm here. If I were you, I'd beware of any further Nightmares. The weakening of the boundary goes both ways."

"And that's it? I've no way to save my soul?"

"I didn't say-" Blake cut off. She sniffed the air again and her expression darkened. "Decay, wilting flowers." She moved quickly, snatching the knife up from the cutting board and spinning to face the window. Not a second too soon, for the glass _exploded_ inwards, followed by a red and black blur.

"Get away from him!" Ruby screamed.

* * *

 **Ah, Ruby. Making things better time and time again.**

 **So, we have some more lore, some Blake – cries of Knightshade incoming – and some more nature as to Rebecca Farleigh's ritual and the purpose of it. Meanwhile, Jaune tries to carry on life as normal with Ren and Nora.**

 **And yes, Blake is a literal demon. Go figure.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 25** **th** **November**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	10. Chapter 10

**This chapter was murder! I have no idea why.**

 **The troll is still making vague racist comments in the reviews. Apparently, I can't turn off guest reviews anymore. I can only moderate them, and if I don't say "no" within 72 hours, they get posted anyway.**

 **Which means I'd have to pay more attention to the idiot than I am right now.**

 **Just ignore him. Easier for everyone.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 10**

* * *

Ruby slammed into Blake scythe first. The steel impacted the kitchen knife Blake had taken from him, somehow sparking along it but not breaking through. Their faces came close for a second, eyes shining once more, Blake's golden, Ruby's silver.

With a hiss, Blake caught Ruby's left arm with her free one and twisted it down, breaking the deadlock. Spinning, she flipped Ruby off her feet and into the kitchenette, slamming the smaller girl up onto the side and knocking a kettle, spice rack and two glasses onto the floor. The latter smashed loudly, and then crunched underfoot as Blake leapt forward, knife held high.

It _thunked_ down into the wooden surface, cutting through several rose petals that suddenly filled the air. The swarm coalesced behind Blake, forming the shape of a figure once more. The scythe scraped across the ceiling as Ruby brought it back, ready to swing down and cut Blake – and his kitchen – in two.

They were going to kill one another. And in _his_ apartment.

"STOP!"

Jaune moved without thinking. He grabbed the pole of Ruby's scythe below the blade and tugged it back, toppling the much shorter girl back onto his bed. She fell with a startled cry. Before Blake could take advantage, he stood between the two of them, hands held out.

Blake watched him warily, crouched like a wild animal, the knife she'd recovered from the kitchen side held in a reverse grip. Her eyes glinted, more like a dog or a cat's than a human's. For a moment, it looked as though she might ignore his attempts to intervene and attack him once more, this time fatally. Then, she sniffed the air, and her eyes dimmed. The knife was lowered.

"I didn't come here to fight," she said. "But that does not give him the right to come into my domain."

"Him…?"

Blake pointed. To Ruby, of all people. He could admit that Ruby was short and not all that developed in the chest area, but she definitely wasn't someone you could mistake for a guy, even with the hoodie up.

"That's a she…"

"It's neither he nor she, at least by your standards. _It_ is male, however."

"What are you talking about?" Ruby yelled, hurrying back to her feet. She had her scythe out once more and tried to work her way around Jaune slowly. He kept cutting her off, which earned him a worried scowl. "Jaune, get behind me. She's not human."

"I know that."

"Then get back! You're not a fighter. I'll protect you."

"No, no, no." Jaune stepped over to block her again, keeping himself between her and Blake. "Not in my apartment. Mrs Mars is going to-"

A hand slammed several times on the door. "Jaune? Jaune, was that you?"

"Oh fuck, she's here." Jaune looked around in a panic. Smashed back window, glass on the floor, two maybe-inhuman creatures in his bedroom, weapons drawn. Obvious damage on the kitchen and a groove cut into the ceiling. "Ruby, get in the bathroom."

"W-What?"

"Get in the bathroom!"

"But what about her-?"

Ruby cut off when he grabbed her arm and hauled her past Blake, who skirted away to give them what room she could. He pushed her into the bathroom and closed the door, leaving Blake and him in the main room right as Mrs Mars finally got the master key into the lock and opened the door.

"Jaune!" The old lady's eyes found his quickly, and then, even quicker, the smashed glass behind him. "What on Earth happened here, boy? The window. And all that glass on the floor?" Her eyes shot to Blake. "Is she-?"

"It's my fault," Jaune interrupted. "I-I was trying to make Blake a cup of coffee."

Mrs Mars looked unconvinced. "In a glass?"

"Um. Yes."

"Well, there's your problem, Jaune! You can't put boiling water in a glass like that. It'll crack."

"Ah, yeah…" He ran with it, even if it made him look an idiot. "It was my bad, Mrs Mars. The glasses shattered, and I dropped them. And a bit hit the window. I'll pay to have them replaced, don't you worry."

Mrs Mars nodded. "And her?"

Blake stood silently behind him, one hand on her hip, the other – likely holding a knife – behind her back. She still had her grey hood up, but her pale face and yellow eyes watched the old lady carefully. "What about me?" she asked.

"She's just here because she ran out of coffee," he said. "Hence why I was trying to make her some."

"Hmm." Mrs Mars didn't believe them. "I did tell you to watch yourself, Jaune, but it's none of my business." She turned away. It was a miracle she'd missed the damage to the kitchenette, though only because Blake was leaning against it, hiding it. "Make sure to be careful when you clean up. Don't cut yourselves."

"Yes, Mrs Mars." Blake said.

"Thank you, Mrs Mars," Jaune added, closing the door gently behind her. The moment she left, he sagged, locking the door in case anyone else tried to come in. Things were complicated enough as they were. He eyed Blake, "Mrs Mars doesn't seem to trust you."

"Few do. It's not exactly easy for me to blend in with your kind. I have the body, but some mannerisms…" She shrugged. "You were always nervous around me as well. Something shows, even if I don't mean it to."

There was some truth there. There'd always been something about Blake that put him on edge. Something he couldn't place. Perhaps his instincts, and those of other people, naturally rebelled against her, sensing the truth. Or maybe it was as she said, and she just didn't act human enough. Something subtle clued people off.

She didn't seem bothered by it.

Cautiously, Jaune made his way to the bathroom and opened the door. Ruby was there, sat cross-armed atop the toilet with a frown on her face. She didn't look best pleased.

"She's, uh, gone. My landlord, that is. Blake is still here." He felt the need to look at her scythe meaningfully.

" _Why_ is she still here? You know what she is."

"Well, I know that she's Grimm." He winced when Ruby's eyes glinted silver. "But I don't know everything, and it's not like I know much more about you, either."

"I'm a hunter!"

"Blake said you're the same as her. And she called you a _he_."

"She's lying." Ruby said it quickly, and when he didn't immediately accept it, her eyes narrowed. "What, do you need me to prove it to you? I'm not going to do that. Yang would kill you if I did."

"That's not what I-" Jaune trailed off with a sigh. Ruby was being defensive, both around him and Blake. If she didn't want to tell him anything, she wouldn't. There wasn't much point in pushing. "Look, if I let you out, can you agree to not attack Blake? I don't think she came here with the intent of harming me."

Not this time, anyway.

"You shouldn't trust her," Ruby whispered. She did put her scythe away, however.

"I'm not sure who to trust at the moment." He hadn't meant it as an insult, but Ruby looked hurt. "I trust you and I… I don't trust Blake, but she could have killed me if she wanted to. She had me at her mercy."

"I can still hear the two of you," Blake called from the main apartment. "If you want to have a discussion in the bathroom, I can leave."

Ruby scowled and pushed her way past, leaving the room to confront the Grimm-monster. Jaune caught up and put a hand on her shoulder, ready to pull her back if she tried to draw her weapon. Fortunately, Blake had left hers on the kitchen side.

Stabbed into it, that was. So much for easily hiding the damage.

But first, might as well address the demon in the room. Or demons.

"Ruby, Blake hasn't attacked me and _did_ save me from a Grimm before I found you. I don't fully know why or what's going on, but if she wanted me dead, I'd be dead." He looked to Blake. "Why _are_ you here, anyway?"

"I came to make peace. Initially, it was to explain that you had Awakened, but once I smelled you coming back, I realised… I thought you were taken. I decided to make peace instead. Neither is important now, but I'm not here to harm you."

"Is he supposed to believe that?" Ruby hissed.

"He can believe what he wants. It is not your place to decide, little hunter." Ruby bristled at the address. "Besides, I have dwelled here for years now and you have neither heard of nor found me. Does that not tell you something of my movements?"

"That you're stealthy."

Blake rolled her eyes. "That I have done nothing to draw attention. I maintain my domain, doing the work you proclaim as your own. He may stay here," she said, looking to him again. "He will have protection so long as I live here."

"Don't believe her," Ruby whispered. "She's a Grimm. She'll kill you when you least expect it, when you let your guard down. That's all they do. That's all they've ever done!"

"You hardly know me, little girl."

"I know enough!" Ruby yelled. "I've _seen_ what you do. I've seen what your kind does to their victims."

"In that case, you ought to be aware of how easily I could have slain him if I wished. He Awakened many nights ago, long before you brought him into your fold. All that time, he was vulnerable. Had I cared."

Ruby glared at her. "You can't think I'll not tell the hunters where you are."

"I don't care to think what you do or don't do. It's not my life in danger. Slay me here and not only will you risk anyone you send to face me, but you'll be putting Jaune at risk. As well as every other resident in my domain." Blake stepped past Ruby, toward the door. She paused as she did, the two girls cheek to cheek. Blake calm, Ruby quivering. "Think on that, little hunter."

The moment Blake left, Ruby turned her glower onto him.

"How could you trust her!?"

"Uh. I don't?" He sat down on the bed with a sigh. "But I'm not going to start a fight with someone – sorry, something – I can't hope to beat."

"She's taken over a person-"

"She's dead," Jaune confirmed, earning a horrified expression from Ruby. "Blake told me she killed her years ago. Is it true no one has ever found her? She said I'd be able to find out she meant no harm by how many she's killed over the years."

"I-I don't know. Ozpin might know, but what does that matter? She's a Grimm. We need to kill her."

"Ruby…"

"Or maybe not us. You're not a fighter. I can get Yang here in half an hour, though. We can storm her apartment, kill her and-"

"Are you even listening to yourself? Storm her apartment. In the middle of the day. You'd be arrested long before Blake would. Then what would you tell the police? Oh sorry, sir, but she's actually a demon from another dimension. Don't arrest me."

Ruby's face was bright red. "Well what do _you_ suggest we do?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing!? She's a killer. She-"

"Has already killed the person she was going to." His voice was tired, his body even more so. Any pleasure he had from a day out with Ren and Nora had been washed away by now. "I'll talk to Ozpin," he promised, "but that's all I'll do. I'm not going to start a fight with her, and I'm not going to be anywhere near here if you're going to."

"B-But what about the person's body she took?"

"Dead." He shrugged. "Believe me, I don't like that, but there's not much I can do about it." He let out a sigh and brought both hands up to his face. "Ruby, she said someone on her end was hunting my soul."

Ruby gasped. Her hand came up to cover her mouth and her eyes – still an unnatural silver – glinted with horror just a little too personal.

"You know something…"

"N-No, I don't." Ruby shook her head. "But maybe we could ask Ozpin."

Jaune stood. Without meaning to, he stalked towards her, pushing the smaller girl back against the wall. "No. You know something. My soul… I don't want to die like this, Ruby. If you know something, you have to tell me."

"I don't know anything!"

"Ruby, please!"

"I-I have to talk to Ozpin," she said. Before he could stop her, she turned to petals before him, floating past his body and reforming on the other side. With one jump, she leapt out the smashed window and away.

"And what am I supposed to do?"

Jaune sagged onto the bed once more. Ruby knew something, that much was obvious. Blake did, too, but neither were giving him any answers. At least with Blake he could understand her not caring about his soul or safety. Ruby was supposed to be different.

Her eyes were the same as Blake's, so she was the same. A Grimm or something. Didn't feel like it, but it was hard to think of her as a normal girl when she swung that scythe around, or randomly turned into flower petals. She was as inhuman as Blake, maybe more so.

Did he trust either of them? Just Ruby? Just Blake? Both? Neither?

Ozpin and Ruby had been good to him, but then so had Rebecca and for far longer. She'd looked after him for months, let him use her office, lent an ear to his problems. Then she'd gone and tried to make him a virgin sacrifice.

Trust didn't come quite so easily after that.

/-/

"You'll be fine here, Weiss," one of the maids said. "Vale's not as busy as New York, but it has its charm. You'll see."

"I suppose I will." Weiss purposefully avoided making eye contact with the woman. If she did, she would see the pity in her eyes. They thought her mad. Touched in the head, or by the devil her old tutor might have said.

Sometimes Weiss felt like she was.

"I can show you to your room if you like. Or maybe you'd like to have something to eat?"

What she would _like_ would be for the woman to stop talking to her as if she were a child, or someone ill enough to require the constant, soft tone. It was as one might speak to a baby or someone with a disability.

To be fair, the makeup she wore could not entirely hide the bags under her eyes. She'd slept on the flight, a rare treat but one she felt would be safest. They couldn't reach her thirty-thousand feet in the air, surely. Even so, her body hadn't yet caught up with all the sleep it had lost. Her eyes were heavy and the bags under them visible.

"My room will suffice," she said, realising that the silence was them awaiting a response. "Thank you. Will you see my bags delivered?"

"Of course. Your father-"

"I do not wish to hear anything from my father, thank you."

"O-Of course." The maid winced. "In the meanwhile, you've been enrolled at a local school. We've been instructed to let you avoid it if you feel unwell, however. The faculty there have been made aware of your… um…"

"My special circumstances?" Weiss sneered.

"Yes."

"Thank you, Cassandra. My room, please. I would like to rest."

She didn't know them, not really. Weiss didn't know this home, either. Bought by her father on a whim, an investment, it was smaller than what she was used to. A decent-sized townhouse with three stories, tall windows in some English style, Edwardian, she thought. The décor was neutral in every regard, cream walls, beige skirting, white ceiling. Floorboards and carpets gave the occasional warmth, but the pale grey or white furniture took it away again.

It had the feel of a house never lived in. A home that had never been a home. Not that New York had been that, but she'd at least had friends there. People she knew. _Not that they stuck with me once they heard what I could see._

They hadn't believed her. Just how her father hadn't.

Not even Winter…

No. She wouldn't think on it. Weiss looked away and followed Cassandra, pretending that she was listening as the woman explained the purpose of each room. She would discover them later as she wandered through, so it was all worthless for now. The other maids hurried for her suitcases, none noticing that Weiss clenched her fingers under her white blouse, concealing a knife in her waistband. Touching the handle helped calm her, though it would have the opposite effect on them if they found out.

Still, she was hardly going to go to bed without a weapon.

"This is to be your room," Cassandra said. "It's the master bedroom and would have been your father's, but, well, with the campaign and all he's not going to come here anytime soon. We thought you might like the extra space."

She didn't, but it was a thoughtful gesture nonetheless. "Thank you."

The room was as unused as any other. A large bed that had seen no one sleep in it, huge windows with great, flowing curtains leading out to a balcony that would look over the street below. Vale was busy but compared to New York it might as well have been deserted. Cars drove by, but the sound was muted.

Along the back wall was a door leading to an en-suite bathroom. Beside it, built into the same wall, a walk-in wardrobe. A chest of drawers flanked the wall opposite the queen-sized bed with its white sheets, while a small, elegant bedside table made of marble twisted up from the floor with a vase of flowers sat atop it. It was filled with fragrant lilies.

Weiss noted it more for the glass vase, which might make for wickedly sharp tools to use if she lost her knife. And, of course, the sound it would make it if shattered. The sound that had haunted her dreams and nights for almost three weeks now.

It was absent for now, but she did not dare hope the noise of falling glass would leave forever.

 _How did it come to this? I never used to be this way…_

"Is it to your liking, Miss Schnee?"

"It is. Thank you." She drew a deep breath and let it go. "You and everyone here have done well. You have my gratitude."

The woman smiled. "Thank you. If there is anything you need, anything at all…"

"I will call for you."

"Yes." The woman bowed and backed away. At the door, however, she paused. "Um, Miss Schnee…"

Weiss sighed. "Yes?"

"There is… Your father… he has arranged for a doctor to come and see you. He will arrive this evening, in an hour and a half." The woman paused as Weiss' hands tightened. Her eyes clenched shut. "I know you might not feel up to it, Miss Schnee, but your father… he said it wasn't something you have a choice over."

Or them, Cassandra seemed to say.

Weiss battled with her anger. Battled and lost. But she refused to become her father, refused to lash out at those who did not deserve her ire.

"Thank you for letting me know. You may send him to me when he arrives."

"We will. Welcome to Vale, Miss Schnee."

Weiss stared out the window as the door closed behind her. In the reflection of the glass, she saw her own face. She'd once been beautiful. Perfectly manicured, presentable and proud of the fact. Now, her skin sagged and her eyes were haunted.

She looked a wretch. A mad wretch.

"Welcome to Vale," she whispered to herself. "Likely my last resting place…"

/-/

It was dark again.

The darkness spread in every direction, tinted with a dark blue on the edges of his vision.

Water. He was underwater.

It didn't feel like it.

It wasn't wet, nor was it cold. In fact, he couldn't feel it on his skin at all, even if his body was still suspended in it. Experimentally, he waved his hands forward and found himself swimming through it. The resistance was there, but nothing more.

For some reason, the fact he was deep underwater didn't startle him. Didn't make him panic. He wasn't breathing – holding his breath – yet his lungs didn't hurt at all. It felt like he didn't need to breathe, like it didn't matter.

A gentle current tugged at him. He moved in it slightly, but it wasn't strong. It led down, down into the inky black far below. There was no seabed, no reefs or even a landmark to go by. Just empty ocean in every direction, though darker below and lighter above.

Without thinking about it, he followed the current, let it pull him down, and even started to kick his legs to get there faster. There was no risk of drowning, that much he knew, so what was the point of swimming up? What was the rush?

He had to go deeper. It just felt right.

 _Drip-Drip_

It felt like hours he swam. Down and down, never once drawing breath, never once feeling like he had to. The water around him became darker and darker as the sun's rays became weaker, failing to pierce so deep. Still, the ocean's floor eluded him. There was no sea life either, no fish or even a hint of colour to break up the midnight blue water. Impossibly clear, even with so little light, it stretched on in every direction.

Why was he going down again?

 _Drip-Drip_

Oh…

That was right.

He had to.

H-H-Had t-to…

 _Drip - Splash_

He gripped his head between his hands as a fresh wave of _something_ came over him. White noise, a headache, a buzz that threatened to drown him more surely than the ocean ever had. It was gone within a second, but it had felt so overpowering for a moment, as if he'd been hit by a truck. His heart was beating wildly, as if it might burst at any moment.

 _Drip-Drip_

D-Deeper. He had to go deeper. Faster.

Why faster?

He didn't know. The only thing he knew was that his arms and legs were moving, pushing and pulling his body further down, toward the dark which, for some reason, looked inviting. Safe. If he could get to the dark, he could hide. Be safe. Be-

 _Splash_

G-G—Ghh…

His eyes rolled up. Bubbles burst from his mouth. His entire body rocked back in the water, seizing up as the noise hit him again. It washed over his whole body, making his skin vibrate like mad. It felt like it might shatter under the strain of it. That _he_ might shatter.

Something in the distance caught his eye.

Because it was the _only_ thing, not only in the distance but in existence at all.

A dim, yellow light. Large. Round. Shining. It reminded him of a car's headlight through a heavy fog, one that penetrated so thinly that you could look into it and not be blinded. It even had the beam that came from it, a conical light that faintly illuminated the dark.

 _Drip-Drip_

It was… sashaying? A side to side movement, impossibly slow and yet somehow fluid. The fog light's glare swept over him for half a second. When it did, his body seized up. His eyes bulged. The pain lasted barely any time after it had gone.

Something…

Something wasn't right.

 _Drip-Drip_

His heart was racing.

 _Drip-Drip_

His heartbeat was… different…

 _Drip-Drip_

Something, something inside of him, gave way.

 _Drip – Splash_

The light fixated on him immediately, _streaming_ through the water with sudden haste, landing on him – paralysing him. The sound slammed into his head, choking his body. A second light panned through the water, on the edge of his vision. Two yellow orbs, two lights. There was a darkness behind it, too, visible only because of the light before it.

Big.

Big.

So big.

So big.

So bright.

So… So… pain…

 _Splash – Splash – Splash_

His lips moved, almost against his own control. Forming words, even if they were useless so deep underwater. Even so, the words – the words whispered in his own voice - reached his ears. The voice was alien, even if it was his. He didn't recognise it. The very water around him vibrated, heated up. Jaune's skin boiled.

" **I see you."**

Closer.

Closer.

Bright.

Big.

Terrible.

Bubbles.

Red bubbles.

Blood.

Buzzing. Sound. Pain. Threatening… overpower-

" _BZZZZZTTTTT!"_

/-/

" _BZZZZZTTTTT!"_

Jaune's eyes slammed open. His body lurched up, mouth gasping for breath he didn't need – too much, too suddenly, and he choked on it. He rolled onto his side, coughing to clear his airways. Beside his head, on the dresser, the alarm he'd set buzzed angrily.

His heart was still racing. The steady _thump-thump_ was audible in his ears.

Swallowing, Jaune shivered, both in fear and from the chill from outside. The window Ruby had crashed through was still broken, the shards across the floor. They'd have to be dealt with tomorrow, because he could see the sun setting behind the buildings in the distance.

It was nearly dusk.

Shit.

Throwing his feet over the edge of the bed, Jaune stood and rushed for the counter, grabbing his keys, wallet and phone. As a last thought, he grabbed Monday's homework as well. It might be possible to do it between any treatment at the Beacon. Checking his watch, he swore when he saw it was 7:45. The Grimm would be out soon. Not soon enough to put him at risk of having to go to Blake for protection, but enough that he'd need to catch a taxi again. At least this time he knew where to go.

Rushing out the door and locking it behind him, Jaune dashed to the end of the balcony and took the stairs two at a time. He hit the bottom right as Mrs Mars stepped out, forcing a smile on his face lest she think something wrong.

"Oh Jaune, going out on one of your runs?"

"Ah, um, yeah. Did you want me to take a letter again?"

"You are sweet. Not this time, thank you. But you shouldn't be out in the cold weather straight after a shower. You'll catch your death from the cold."

Jaune paused. "A shower?"

"Your hair, sweetie," the old lady said, pointing to her own. "It's soaking wet."

Curious, Jaune brought a hand up, finding it so. It wasn't just damp from sweat either, but dripping, like he'd come out from a shower and given his head only the most cursory towelling. He brought his wet hand down before his face. His eyes widened. "R-Right, I'll keep that in mind next time."

"You do that, Jaune. Have a good night."

"You too." he said, laughing. His voice was stretched, panicked. It wasn't a Nightmare tonight, so his Soul in the other would was safe, at least that was what Blake said. He had time to try and find a solution, and Ozpin might have something he could work with. In the meantime, he was safe. He was supposed to be safe.

But the scent of saltwater drifted from his hand, and his hair.

* * *

 **For some reason, this chapter really didn't want to be written. No idea what it was. Might be me feeling out of it or something, but it took twice as long as it really should have and came out in a state I'm not really happy with. Sheesh.**

 **Ah well, such is life.**

 **Might be a tad short as a result, but it's getting very late here and I just don't have any more I can add this chapter. Ruby would reveal too much, Yang isn't necessary and Ren and Nora are just preparing for school.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 2** **nd** **December**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	11. Chapter 11

**As I'm mentioning on other stories, there will be one week this Christmas without an update on this and my other fics. It'll only affect each story once, and you can always just follow the dates on the bottom if necessary.**

 **In the case of this story, there won't be an update on the 23** **rd** **December.**

 **All other dates will continue as normal.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 11**

* * *

"Hm. I can't see anything immediately wrong with you." Ozpin leaned back from Jaune's hair and cupped his chin. They were in the Beacon, in the main foyer with Jaune leaning against a table. It was still somewhat early and the bar, while filling up, had plenty of empty spaces. "You said salt water. You're sure it was from the ocean?"

"Certain. I wasn't the only one to smell it."

"Yes, this… _Grimm_ of yours." Ozpin let out a sigh. "I think we should leave her be for now."

Ruby, who had been hovering nearby – but not close enough for Jaune to see in the eye, rose up. "What!? Oz, we can't!"

"We have better things to do than hunt down and kill an enemy who has, for now, not done anything to us.

"For now!" she pressed. "What if she kills one of us? Are we going to wait until she _does_ do something, even though we know who she is and where she lives!?"

"From yours and Jaune's description, it doesn't seem like she would do that."

"Seem!" Ruby growled. "Seems like she wouldn't." She stomped a foot down and her hand inched towards her weapon. "That's not a guarantee."

"In our line of work there are precious few guarantees, Ruby."

"Her being dead would be one."

Ozpin glanced towards her. He didn't seem angry. Patient, if anything. A far cry from Ruby's state of mind. "Why don't you go out with Yang tonight? I've sent her to investigate a spate of deaths among the homeless population by the mall. It has all the hallmarks of a Grimm targeting the weak."

Ruby saw the attempt at distracting her for what it was. She crossed her arms. "And Blake?"

"My mind is already made up."

Ruby scowled and turned on her heel to stomp away. Her shoulders were stiff, and she made a point of _slamming_ the front door of the Beacon behind her. A few hunters looked up, but soon returned to their drinks and conversation.

"I do apologise for her," Ozpin said.

"Sure." Jaune sighed and shook his head now that Ozpin was finished looking over it. "Something personal, I'm guessing?"

"Now, wherever did you get that idea?"

"Alright, that was fairly obvious," he admitted, earning a smile from Ozpin. "It's none of my business, I guess." He had a feeling Ozpin wouldn't have told him even if he asked. He'd have to ask Ruby, and he doubted she'd be prepared to tell him. The whole thing was a mess. The only thing that was clear was that Ruby hated Blake and wanted her dead. Jaune wasn't sure he trusted her, either, and was a little surprised Ozpin did. "About Blake, though. Do you really trust her?"

"Trust is a little much to ask. I trust that she would have reason not to draw our ire. I trust that, as she pointed out, there have been little to no deaths to the Grimm in her area." He frowned. "Her domain."

"She mentioned her domain a few times. Also a glade of some sort. Do you know what that's about?"

"I'm afraid not." Ozpin checked the bar and, upon seeing that Velvet was handling things, drew out a seat to sit at the table. "I am what you might call the premier expert on Grimm in Vale, but that does not mean my knowledge is without limit. I can hypothesize that this glade is her home in her world, but not having visited myself, there's little more I can say. Regardless, she has good reason not to draw our attention. For now, I would rather the devil I know than scare her away. If we did, I fear she would not be so co-operative the next time we met."

Jaune nodded. "I get it. She sounded… territorial."

"Grimm are unlike us but _do_ appear to be animal-like, at least similar to some animal kingdoms in our world. It's not impossible that they might share some instinctive similarities, including being territorial over their homes." He shrugged. "Then again, it could also just be a coincidence. Take anything I say with a grain of salt."

"Salt…"

Ozpin sighed. "A poor choice of words on my part."

"Do you…" He trailed off. "If you know anything…"

"I know little," Ozpin admitted.

"Please. I have to know."

Ozpin looked older for a moment, almost ancient. He brought one hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose. After a moment's thought, he said, "A ritual was cast on you. I can only guess at its method – such is beyond our understanding – but the purpose seems obvious. The one you knew as Rebecca Farleigh is Grimm. She – or he – must have wished to bring another over from their world to take your place."

"How this would be done, I've no idea, but the results appear to be that your soul in their world is being drawn towards what I would presume is the domain of a specific Grimm. You spoke of a deep ocean in your dream."

"Y-Yes. But this isn't the first time I dreamt of it. I had a similar dream _before_ Rebecca put me in that circle."

"You did? Curious. Well, it's possible that your soul was already prepared to wander. This was after you had Awoken, correct?"

"The night after I saw Ruby kill the Grimm."

"Then your soul must have already been there. Either way, it is being hunted now and I'm sure the ritual has something to do with it. There would be little reason for her to have tried it on you otherwise."

Jaune leaned forward. "How do I break it?"

Ozpin's eyes closed. "I don't know."

Panic and desperation set in. Jaune pushed himself up onto his feet. He wanted to grab the man opposite him by the collar but settled for glaring instead. "Ozpin, please!"

"No, I am not attempting to mislead you," he said, holding out a hand. "Our understanding of the Grimm is close to none. This ritual… it is as close to magic as anything. Asking me to understand it, let alone how to break it, is too much. I am as human as you, Jaune. Just a little older, and a little more experienced."

Hope and energy fled, leaving him to sag back into his seat. "That's it, then? No one knows? I just have to accept that I'm going to be killed?"

"Jaune…"

"No! I'm not going to accept that!" He slammed a hand on the table, shaking the glasses. "That's… That's bullshit! Aren't hunters supposed to stop this? What's the point of me even trying if my soul is going to be killed and my body taken over?"

Worse, what would happen to his family? The monster would have access to his sisters. Would it try and do the same to them? Would his entire family be consigned to be devoured by eldritch monsters?

If so, the best thing to do…

It was to die, wasn't it?

To kill himself and prevent it ever happening.

His breath came out quicker and quicker. His heart beat wildly. He… Even if it was, the fear paralysed him. He wasn't sure he'd be able to.

A hand settled on his arm. Ozpin shook him. "Jaune! Jaune!"

"I… I…"

"Snap out of it!" Ozpin barked. "We are _not_ giving up on this. We are _not_ without some options."

"Options?" Desperation mixed with fear and the tiniest speck of hope. "W-What options? What can we do?"

"The one who cast the ritual on you would know more of how it worked. _We_ do not know how to counter it, but she might."

"Rebecca?"

"Hm." Ozpin linked his hands together. "Given the situation, I think it would be prudent to seek her out."

Right. If she was responsible for this, then she had to know how to reverse it. "Would she really tell us, though?"

"Who can say? You have already had one Grimm negotiate with you. That is proof that the concept is sound. If this one can be convinced that her ability to stay in this world is in danger, she might be willing to reverse the ritual and break the contract."

It sounded like a long shot, but right now he didn't have many options. At least it was something he could work towards. _Though I'll need to be fast. It nearly had me earlier. It saw me. I might not even make it to the next Nightmare at this rate._

"I shall have Ruby and Yang work towards locating her," Ozpin said. "Yang attends Eastfield with you, so it should not be difficult for her to keep an eye out. As for Ruby… she has some unique capabilities that might prove useful."

Jaune grimaced. "If she's willing to even work with me…"

"She will. Ruby's anger is at what she perceives as a lack of action towards your… friend." Ozpin hesitated at the word, which made sense since Blake was anything but that. "Such feelings won't get in the way of her doing what is right, however."

"And what can I do?"

"Very little, I'm afraid. Keep your wits about you, attend school. Make yourself obvious and call Yang, Ruby or I if she tries to make contact with you. Try to live your life as you always have. To do anything else would only raise alarm. I'll have her picture spread around the other hunters. I know it's little comfort now, but we will do all we can, Jaune. Believe me when I say that."

He'd have to believe him.

There was nothing else he could do.

/-/

"You're in a fine mood tonight."

Ruby glared at her older sister and shoved her hands into her pockets. It really wasn't a question, and she wasn't about to give Yang the satisfaction of trying to deny it.

"Silent treatment, huh? Yeah, someone's got their panties in a twist. Want to tell me why?"

"No."

"Fair enough." She looked both ways out the alleyway they were stood in and then slowly made their way toward the now-closed mall. The roads around it were clear, the parking lot empty of cars, but there was the odd shadow of people either doing things they shouldn't be, or just hanging around.

Yang as led them around a corner and into what looked to be an employee access section. Something a normal person might not have noticed. There was a chain-link metal fence with a padlock on, but when Yang nudged it with one hand, it proved unlocked. It would be a way in to the mall.

"What about cameras?" Ruby asked, tugging her hood up to hide her face.

"They're down from the Nightmare," Yang said. Even so, she did the same, pulling a scarf up to hide the lower half of her face, and a hood for the upper. "I doubt they've been able to call people out on a Sunday to fix 'em. The lights aren't even on."

"Security?"

"I counted two last night. Bored and sat in their offices for the most part."

Ruby nodded and closed the fence gate behind them, slipping the padlock back so that it at least _looked_ like it was secure. Hunters though they may have been, with the average person unable to see the Grimm, the two of them would come across as criminals.

It was why most hunters concealed their weapons, like Yang's shotgun hidden under her jacket. New England didn't like concealed weapons, but it liked open weapons on people breaking into a restricted area even less. At least this way, they could play the dumb teens card if they had to.

"Ozpin said something about homeless people," Ruby hinted.

"Right." Yang sighed and quickly explained, "I've been checking out the mall since Friday. Ozpin had some news of people going missing. Feds are placing it as wild animals or exposure, the usual, but bodies haven't turned up."

"At all?"

"Nothing. Bloodstains once or twice, but everything gone. Body, gore, clothes. All gone."

Ruby bit her lip. Grimm didn't normally care for any evidence left behind. Most of them left a horrifying mess. They didn't even need to eat the people they killed, so it wasn't like they could ingest the body, let alone clothing.

Her mind flicked back to that Grimm she'd seen earlier, the one with golden eyes, human skin and an inhuman frame of mind. Her hand clenched around a handgun concealed under her armpit. Damn it. Why wouldn't Ozpin let her do what had to be done? That girl – monster – had to die.

"Ruby," Yang hissed. "You payin' attention?"

"Y-Yeah. Of course."

Yang grumbled and looked away, making it clear she knew Ruby hadn't been. "Security is so shit here that the local homeless have been breaking in the same way we do. It's warm and there's shelter. Occasionally, some snacks left behind in the bins, too."

"And the security guys just let it happen?"

"I'm sure they've called it in, but it's not like the two of them can expel everyone. Police have been running around since the Nightmare, dealing with their _electro-magnetic storm_." Yang rolled her eyes and sneered at the ignorant masses. "We're going to pose as a pair of homeless people and see if anything comes for us. Or if we see anyone else taken."

"And intervene, right?" Ruby asked nervously.

Yang raised an eyebrow. "Well, yeah. Obviously."

"R-Right…" She looked away. Ozpin had made her paranoid now.

The interior of the mall was dark yet lit by a pale blue light coming from the windows far above, looking up towards the moon. The sky was clear, letting the moonlight shine in. A couple of shapes were huddled by the front of a shop, resting in sleeping bags pushed up against the metal security grills. Of the seating in the centre of the aisle, another figure slept.

There weren't any burning fires, flaming barrels or other objects one might have expected, and which Ruby had personally seen in other areas. The mall was warm enough not to need them, and the homeless here obviously didn't want to make life harder for themselves by forcing the security guards to try and toss them out into the cold again.

Ruby scanned the people she could see, eyes glinting lightly. They all looked perfectly alive – which was a good bet where Grimm were concerned. They were hardly subtle when on the prowl. Awakened were the same, usually panicking at what they could see so badly that they made themselves obvious.

"Looks clear."

"For now," Yang grumbled. "Honestly, it was clear all last night too. I'm hoping something does happen, if only so I can stop having to come here every night."

"I thought you liked the mall."

"I do," she said, "I also like being able to come shopping here, which isn't going to happen if one of those cameras catches my face." She tugged at her disguise a little more, pulling the scarf further up over her nose. "Really don't need a criminal record, thanks."

"And I do?"

"Pft, like you'd even care. An excuse to get out of school and not be sociable? I'm surprised you haven't done it on purpose yet."

Ruby giggled at the thought. The hunters weren't an illegal organisation per se, but you could only run around with deadly weaponry fighting things that no one else could see for so long. The police frowned on that, as did any sane person. There were quite a few hunters who were essentially on the run or wanted for crimes, some petty, others not. It usually wasn't polite to ask. For those that were caught, either prison or a mental asylum awaited. Typically, both proved fatal.

"Dad would have my head if I skipped school."

Yang grinned. "Yeah, he would have. Doing it for him, then?"

"That and the fact I'm not brave enough to break the law on purpose."

"Says the girl carrying a scythe, a handgun and breaking into a mall."

Ruby glowered. "That's different."

"Sure. That'll stand up in court." Yang sighed and stood. "Come on, no point us hiding here when we're supposed to be visible." She walked out toward a bench that hadn't been taken, mostly because it had anti-homeless protection on it – bars that meant you could sit, but that laying down would be blocked.

Ruby say down in it with a sigh. "Waiting. My favourite moment."

"Yeah, tell me about it." Yang sighed and hooked both arms behind the bench. Her patience lasted all of five seconds. "So, you going to tell me what's got you so annoyed? I've not seen you like this in ages. Something that guy did?"

"Jaune?" Ruby sighed. "Kind of. It wasn't him, but he's involved."

"He's trouble," Yang warned.

"He's being hunted. It's not his fault."

"I know that, but it doesn't make him any less trouble." The blonde let out a sigh and leaned her head back to stare up through the windows above. "Whether he likes it or not, he's at risk of being taken over. It's not his fault, but that doesn't change much. He's a ticking time bomb."

Ruby shot her sister a glare. "Don't you think it's unfair to say that?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I do. But this world isn't fair; you know that." Yang sighed when Ruby averted her eyes. "It's shit, I agree, but it's all we have. This shitty, fucked-up world. If I could wave a wand and make it so he wouldn't be a risk, I would. But short of either of us being able to do that, I'm not going to hide from the truth because it's uncomfortable to say. He's compromised. At any moment, he could turn on and kill us all."

"So what, you're saying we should get rid of him first?"

"No. I just don't want to see you hurt again."

"I can take care of myself, Yang. I'm strong enough to stop him if he does turn."

"I didn't mean physically."

Her stomach clenched. Ruby looked down at the ground and bit her lip. Yang… She wasn't being cruel, but it still hurt. Yang was just trying to look out for her and speaking the truth. Jaune _was_ a danger, whether he wanted it or not.

"I'm not saying you can't try and help him," Yang said. "Ozpin obviously is, and that's the right thing to do. I'm just saying to be careful, okay? Not because _he_ will do something bad, but because he might not be given the choice."

"I get it…"

"And I can't stop who you befriend, that's your call. Just…" Yang sighed. "Just be careful choosing to become friends with someone who might not be around for much longer. If Oz finds a way to save him, great. You can become his friend after. But if you do it before and he dies, it's going to be a repeat of last time. You're going to get hurt."

Ruby clenched her eyes shut. "I know."

"I won't say any more then," Yang promised, wrapping an arm around Ruby's shoulder. "I don't like being the cynical one, but someone has to say it. I just don't want to see you that way again."

Ruby managed a smile for her sister, even if she didn't really feel it. Yang was just looking out for her like she'd promised Dad she would. Ruby couldn't begrudge her that. As for Jaune… It hurt, because it was _her_ fault he was in this situation. All of it was her fault.

It didn't help that Jaune had looked at her the same way he looked at that Grimm who lived next door – like they were the same, like she couldn't be trusted any more than a monster.

Ruby's silver eyes flickered in the dark.

In the distance, a gasp was cut off by a muffled _bang_ followed by a thud.

 _Tick-Tock_

"It's here." Ruby stood.

Yang did the same beside her. "About time."

It was.

Time, that was.

As Ruby saw a wounded figure stumble down the central aisle, clutching his side, and another behind – giving chase – time itself seemed to _clench_ inside of her. The world slowed, her head felt like it was trapped between a vice. Silver eyes flared like twin flames as she drew her scythe and lunged forward.

All the while, a grandfather clock tolled in her mind.

/-/

Weiss remained silent in the middle of her bed, knees drawn up to her chin, arms wrapped about them, a knife held against her shins, the metal ice-cold. The servants had all been to bed, the psychiatrist had come, inspected her and decided that she had an over-active imagination that stemmed from a thirst for attention.

He'd looked at her as if she were the most childish person alive when she screamed at him to leave.

As the sun fell and the moon rose, she'd prepared herself. The bed had been pushed into the centre of the room, away from any walls, giving her more time to react if they came from any direction. The curtains had been drawn back, the better to see out the windows. The door was locked, the bathroom door open. She had her knife, and another she'd stolen from dinner and hidden beneath her pillow.

Her shoulders rose and fell as she sat in the cold and waited.

And waited.

When nothing came for the first hour of dark, she'd dared to hope. Such foolishness was quickly stripped away by the roars of the monsters. More of them, she was sure. So many. No one else heard them, no only else reacted. And now, the noise that only she heard.

 _Tschhh…_

Weiss clenched her eyes shut.

 _Clink-Clink…_

"Go away," she whispered. "Please go away."

It never did. Weiss shook her head and glanced to the vanity table, where the mirror had been shattered the moment she'd been left alone earlier that day. The shards lay atop the surface and the reflection of one caught her eye. The reflection was bright and vivid, despite the dark in the room. It was her own face looking back at her.

Not unusual.

Except that the face was smiling, smiling and cocking its head to the side. Something _she_ most assuredly was not doing.

"Leave me alone!" Weiss hissed.

The face didn't respond. Weiss threw one of her cushions, covering it and blocking its ability to reflect anything at all.

Mirrors. She hated them.

"Just get it over with. Come on. I-I'm still awake. I'll kill you."

A chuffing noise from outside the window caught her attention. It sounded like a dog, a really big dog that was sniffing around. Considering how high up her floor was, she knew it couldn't be. Shifting on the bed, she brought the knife between her and the window, ready for its entry.

One of its clawed hands appeared outside the glass.

 _Tschhh – Clink - Clink_

Suddenly, it fell back – almost as if it had lost its grip. A panicked sound echoed outside, followed by a loud _slam_ as something hit the ground. A roar followed, angry and pained.

It cut off without warning.

"What…?" Weiss stared at the window, confused.

Moving quickly, she swung her legs over the side and padded across the tiled floor, pushing her face and hands up against the glass. The fact it might have been waiting for her didn't register, such was her fatigue. Fortunately, it wasn't there to kill her.

It was dark out, but in the light of the moon she could just about make out the monstrous form below, in the front garden of their townhouse. It was broken and crooked, clearly dead. Beside it, a dark figure stood.

"W-What?" Weiss gasped. "Someone else can…? Someone can _see_ them?"

 _Tschhh – Clink – Clink_

The figure flinched. As if sensing her gaze, their heads snapped up to look her way.

Any urge she had to back away was stolen away from her. Weiss stood there dumbly, looking down at the person looking back up at her. Their eyes met. Weiss' a pale blue. Those of the girl below an angry, glowing amber.

 _Tschhh – Clink - Clink_

Black hair, a dark hood and eyes of spun gold. The woman looked back up towards Weiss, and then slowly nodded, stepping away from the dead monster.

"Wait!" Weiss fumbled with the latch on the window, trying to open it. The thing was locked – intentionally locked. They probably thought she might throw herself out the window to her death. Angry, Weiss slammed both fists on the pane of glass. "Hey! Wait, don't go!" Double-glazed and rigid, the glass didn't yield.

Nor did the woman wait.

Perhaps she hadn't heard her, perhaps she'd never know. Weiss slid down the glass to her knees as the figure leapt up over the wall and into the street, disappearing from view. The knife lay forgotten nearby.

Someone else had seen what she'd seen. Someone was fighting them, like her.

Someone was surviving.

Weiss wasn't sure why she was crying, only that she was, forehead pressed against the cold glass. If there was another person out there – even one – who could understand what she was going through, that would be enough.

Until she could meet them, though, she had to live. Slowly, exhaustingly, Weiss forced herself to stand, snatching up her knife as she did. She stumbled back to her bed, sat on the edge and glanced to the shattered mirror once more.

As she did, she caught a glimpse of her own face stretched into a rictus of fury.

The glass became empty a second later.

"I-I'm not on my own. There's another like me. I-I'm not crazy. This proves it…"

It was amazing how much that meant.

/-/

Ozpin placed a hand on his shoulder, breaking his concentration. The homework fell onto the table, mostly complete. "Jaune, you should sleep."

"No more work?" he slurred tiredly.

"None. Nights are often quiet after a Nightmare. You've treated what small injuries came through. It's nearly five and I doubt there will be any more problems tonight. You should catch a nap while you can."

"Can't."

Ozpin sighed. "You must."

"It'll be waiting for me, Ozpin. I can't sleep."

"Be that as it may, it will still be waiting when you can no longer stay awake, and you shall be far safer taking short naps than sleeping for ten hours when you pass out."

Shit. He hadn't thought of that. Too rattled to think properly and constantly afraid for his life. Jaune shook his head and downed what remained of his ice-cold coffee. Ozpin sighed when he did, knowing the caffeine would make sleep all but impossible now.

"I've got school in four hours, Oz, and it'll take me an hour and a half to get home, shower, get ready and make my way there. At best, I'd get two hours sleep. And I had a proper sleep yesterday afternoon."

"Very well. I shall provide you some medicine to keep you awake."

Jaune look at the man askance. "Medicine?"

"Simple caffeine and energy pills. Store-bought fare. It should help fend off sleep until tomorrow. Still, I must insist you take a nap after school – no matter the risk. You are in danger when you sleep, but fear can wake you up. If you pass out, however, you may be trapped in their realm until you wake naturally. If at all."

The thought of that was enough to make him swallow. Power naps it was, then. He'd have to come up with some system, since he needed to be at school from nine until four every weekday, and then at the Beacon from nine in the afternoon until four or five in the morning.

"I'll figure something out."

"Very well." Ozpin looked unconvinced, but unwilling to push. "Let me get you a fresh coffee at the very least. And those pills."

It didn't take long for Ozpin to gather them, and true to his word they were sealed packs of branded drugs he recognised, most of them bought from the local pharmacy. They were harmless for the most part, unless someone really overdid it. Checking the limits, he popped one and swallowed it with a sip of coffee, breathing a sigh of relief a moment later when he felt just a little more alert. It would take time to fully kick in, but the world felt a little brighter for his eyes not drooping.

Arranging for a taxi proved even easier, Ozpin having plenty of numbers available. It was hard to imagine what people thought of the Beacon, seeing as how an inordinate number of exhausted men and women were being shipped out by taxis, some of them clearly on the verge of collapse. Jaune's taxi driver made a point of not asking, nor even making polite conversation. He was dropped off quickly, with the notes snatched from his hand and the cab pulling away.

"Friendly," Jaune grunted.

At six in the morning, the apartment block was mostly empty. To his immense relief, Blake didn't seem to be up. Or maybe she was out. Either way, he wasn't challenged as he stepped into his room, wincing again at the shattered glass he hadn't bothered to pick up. The room was cold. He liked to imagine it was his mood, but it was more likely the gaping hole Ruby had left in his window.

 _And why am I the one paying to have that repaired? Oh yeah, because she saved my life._

Damn it.

Glass crunched behind him.

Panicked, Jaune spun, hand reaching out to defend himself. Not that it would have done much good.

Blake cocked her head to the side, stood on his balcony with her amber eyes. Her hood was down for once, and that revealed something he couldn't quite take his eyes away from. There, atop her head, were a pair of ears. Feline ears.

"What the fuck?"

Blake ignored his shock. "You returned. And without an entourage of hunters. That is good. I'd have hated to have to kill them all and move."

"W-What the fuck!?" he said again, pointing.

The ears flicked forward to point at him. Her brows drew down. "Are you going to keep saying that? Or are you surprised that someone that _isn't human_ would have traits beyond what a human does? How simple-minded."

"A-Are they real?"

"No. I make a habit of wearing fake cat ears when I sneak into men's bedrooms." The sarcasm was thick enough to strangle someone with. "Don't get excited. I already have a mate in my world, so I'd never desire that of you. I need a favour."

"A favour…?" Surprise gave way to paranoia, and then a little fear. "What exactly? And why should I do anything for you?"

"Because I will do something for you in return," she explained impatiently, almost huffily. "Is that not how favours work in this world? I am not asking for charity here, rather an exchange of services." She looked down and kicked some glass aside. "I could fix this for you, for instance."

He looked from the glass to her. "You can do that?"

Blake rolled her eyes. "By calling a repairman, yes."

He instantly felt a little stupid.

"It's a simple favour, so listen first and then decide. All I ask is for you to keep your eyes out for a certain individual, a person I believe to be of a similar age to you. If my instincts are correct, she will attend a school in Vale. It might be Eastfield."

"It might not be," Jaune pointed out. "There are other schools."

"True, but I can at least narrow it down by having you check yours first. Saves me the time."

Jaune watched her for a moment, trying to figure out her motives. Blake said a person, but she almost certainly meant a human, not a Grimm. Considering what she'd done to the first human she met, he wasn't eager to provide her another. "What do you want this person for?"

"I have no interest in killing them if that is what you think."

Jaune said nothing.

"Paranoid human," Blake hissed. "Fine. How about this. Help me find this person and I shall help you find the one _you_ ought to be looking for. Even if you _stink_ of the one hunting you, the one to place the mark on you has left her own scent."

"R-Rebecca!?"

"Is that her name?" Blake sniffed the air. "Fire, ash, ozone. It is distinct from the ocean." Her face twisted. "Of course, I can also smell the dying rose garden of your friend, but it's different. There _is_ a third, this… Rebecca. If you help me find the person I am looking for, I will help you in turn."

Slowly, Blake extended a hand.

"Do we have a deal?"

Jaune stared at the hand as if it were a snake. It might as well have been. She was the literal devil to his Faust. There was no telling what her aid might cost or whether it would work, let alone whether she'd honour a deal in the first place.

And yet, faced with the certainty of his soul being taken by a monster, and his entire family being faced by an imposter wearing his skin? The choice was easy.

He made his deal with the devil.

* * *

 **Weiss comes to Vale, Jaune finds out a little more, Yang has her worries and Ruby is conflicted.**

 **I didn't mean to imply last chapter that Ruby was a futa by the way (sorry to a certain someone who likes that), rather Blake implied that the equivalent of her for Ruby was male. Biologically, Ruby is a girl in this.**

 **Another small thing is that Yang does** _ **not**_ **have glowing eyes in this story. I just wanted to clear that up because in canon her eyes can glow, and I realised some people were expecting the same here because it's a fanfic, etc.**

 **Just to establish, only Ruby and Blake's eyes have flowed so far. Well, and Rebecca Farleigh's.**

 **In the same way that Velvet doesn't have faunus traits because faunus don't exist in this AU, Yang doesn't have her glowing eyes thanks to her Semblance, because Semblances don't exist. Just wanted to clear that up.**

 **Except Blake has her ears, but… well… those are for** _ **other**_ **reasons.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 9** **th** **December**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	12. Chapter 12

**The unseen hunt continues.**

 **Not much to add, other than a quick reminder I'll have a week off at Xmas. As always, dates for next chapters at bottom will be accurate.**

 **Troll still in reviews wasting time. Ignore.**

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 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 12**

* * *

It was caffeine, stress and a hefty dose of fear that kept him going at Eastfield. Not fear of the students, not anymore, but rather fear of the unknown. Of Rebecca Farleigh. Of finding this person Blake wanted, and even of _not_ finding them and thus not having Blake's help. There was fear of falling asleep too and getting detention, along with the fear of his friends worrying and finding out what was wrong, casting themselves into the Awakened world, but those came second.

About the only thing that kept him sane was the blessed silence in his head. The absolute lack of water dripping, a sign of proximity to those of the _other world_ as he'd come to call it.

Ren and Nora were waiting for him in their classroom, a chair beside them already reserved with Nora's bag on the seat and Ren's on the table. They moved them when he arrived, flashing him quick smiles and also a concerned look from Ren.

"Jaune…"

"It wasn't nightmares this time," Jaune said. "I got distracted and stayed up too late."

Ren sighed the sigh of the damned. "That's just as bad."

"I'll be fine. Or I'll take a nap at lunch or something. We got a free period today?"

"After lunch," Nora said. She leaned forward suggestively. "Want to fall asleep in my lap?"

"Would my face go un-graffitied?"

"Yes," Nora said, barely concealing her grin.

"I don't think it would." He took out his books as Nora laughed. Ozpin's little medicine had already kicked in, leaving him twitchy and energetic. He didn't _look_ it, still with bags under the eyes and scruffy hair, but he sure as hell felt it. "Any news on the explosion?"

"A little," Ren answered. "They're saying it was vandalism by a student who wanted the school to be shut down this week. They thought it might be a terrorist attack at first, but no one is claiming responsibility, and the police have said there's no evidence or remains of an IED."

"Couldn't it have just been a gas leak or something?" Nora asked.

"Maybe. But I doubt the school would admit that. It might have been someone sneaking in and putting on the burners in the chem lab or something. Either way, they've said the danger is over, but they're installing new camera systems to watch the school."

"That's a lot of detail," Jaune said. "Where did you get all that from?"

"Emails sent out to parents asking for charitable donations towards the camera systems – and to assure parents there's no terrorism risk. You probably didn't get it because the email went to Boston."

Made sense. Mom hadn't brought it up, but then, with nothing to do, there probably wasn't much of a need to. Either that or he'd missed her call while working at the Beacon. Either way, it looked like the school and the police had made up their own excuses again. It's not like they'd accept the reality of the Grimm, so it was all down to a rogue student.

The lack of any news on Miss Farleigh was more interesting, but he might just not have been told. He didn't have any classes with her, so it might have been that her students all knew what was going on, or the official story anyway, and he didn't.

Depended on whether the school thought she was dead, absent or missing.

The classroom door opened as Cardin entered, eyes scanning over the class. They settled on Jaune and narrowed, the athlete muttering something to his posse but stalking by, taking their own seats in the corner where they began to chat loudly about girls, the latest game and more. No one dared challenge or ask them to quiet down and Jaune did his best to ignore them. He'd arrived early today and must have missed them.

Their homeroom teacher arrived before anything could happen.

/-/

The sheer normality of class was an odd sensation. The morning passed by with him constantly expecting an attack of some sort. It never came. Miss Farleigh was absent, no one knew where she was, but life school went on as normal – albeit not for the students supposed to be taking lessons with her; they got study group while a substitute teacher was probably being brought in.

For the rest of the student body, however, it was Monday as usual. Lessons were dull but informative, people talked about what they did over the weekend, and while the `electro-magnetic storm` was a common subject, it was usually only ever in a "Hey, did you hear…" kind of way. People cared more about the latest gossip than they did the impending end of the world.

The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to see.

There was a famous scholar who'd said that, Jaune thought. It felt apt given the circumstances. What _he_ wanted to see in his lunch hour was food, a table and a place to rest, but that wouldn't help fulfil his end of the bargain to Blake. There had been no new student introduced into his class – that would have been too convenient – but it wasn't like new students were announced schoolwide. Not outside of anime, anyway.

He'd have been annoyed at the lack of a picture on Blake's part, but the description was fairly unique.

" _Pale skin, white hair – actual white, not grey – and is short. Possibly rich. You'll know her when you see her."_

" _Anything else?"_ he'd asked. _"Maybe a name?"_

" _No. You… You will notice her. You won't have the choice of not noticing her."_

No explanation on what that ominous comment meant, but Blake wasn't the kind of person he wanted to push for answers on. He still didn't know what she wanted with this girl, and that bothered him. What if she was going to enact the same ritual Rebecca had on him? What if she was going to kill the girl, or feed her to this `mate` of hers in the other world?

Was he really prepared to put someone through what he'd seen?

No…

But at the same time, he was afraid. Afraid of what might happen to him and, by extension, his family. _Ask me if I'm willing to kill someone to save myself and I'll hesitate. Ask me if I'm willing to kill someone to protect me, my sisters and my parents? That's different…_ He was still reluctant, but only because of the ethical dilemma. Sacrificing one stranger to save his entire family, though. It wasn't the right thing to do, but it was the only thing he could do.

Not that he'd found the girl. He'd been wandering the halls since lunch started, trying to get a glimpse of someone Blake assured him he'd notice in an instant. Ren and Nora were probably wondering where he was, but they'd have to chalk it up to more unusualness from him. He could probably tell them he'd found somewhere to take a nap. Letting out a quick sigh, Jaune ducked around a corner in the locker hall, towards the front entrance.

A body slammed into his.

Jaune barely got the first syllable of an apology out before he was grabbed and tossed aside, slammed into the lockers. The wind was driven out of him a second later as the shoulder he'd crashed into hit his stomach, making the metal creak behind him. He let out a pained groan.

"Hello Jauney-boy. Fancy bumping into you." Cardin grinned down at him, his three asshole friends stood nearby.

"C-Cardin…?"

"Came to school early, huh?" Cardin sneered and pushed a little harder with his shoulder, drawing a wince from Jaune. "Avoiding us like that. That hurts, Jaune. I thought we were friends."

Jaune grimaced. "Cardin, come on. Is this really worth it?"

"You're not, but I guess that's a fault of mine. I'm too charitable. Giving attention to people who don't deserve it. Isn't it, boys?" He looked back to his friends, who dutifully laughed. "See. They put up with it. That's what real friends do. Not that you'd know."

"I have friends…"

"You have the reject loner and his girlfriend. Third wheel. Just like always, huh?"

He tried not to let it bother him, or the fact it did show, but Cardin saw through it like he always did. They'd played the role of bully and bullied since before Eastfield, and Cardin knew what buttons to push. Things were better at Eastfield and Ren and Nora liked him. He believed that.

But whomever made that stupid _Sticks and Stones_ song had been spouting bullshit. Words hurt.

Being beaten up by Cardin for answering back hurt, too, but with the brute's arm on his chest and his back to the lockers, he knew he was in a bad spot already. Cardin was pissed at missing out on his morning insults. The four of them had probably been looking for him since lunch started.

Something hot and angry burned in Jaune's stomach. Fucking Cardin. He hated him, _despised_ him. Wasn't it enough that he'd made one school hell? Why did he have to do it again?

And why fucking _now_ of all times. He didn't have time for this!

"Don't you have better things to do with your time?" Jaune gritted out. To his pleasure, Cardin paused. "You say that I'm not worth it, that I'm trash, but you're the one who comes looking for me. All the time, every day, you can't cope unless you've seen me."

Cardin scowled. "Just making sure you know your place, Jauney-boy."

His place…?

His _place_ …?

He'd spent the weekend surviving against monsters, nearly been eviscerated, sacrificed, _eaten_ and only survived by patching up people risking their lives every night. He hadn't paused, hadn't drawn a breath, hadn't even _slept_ properly, and now Cardin was telling him what mattered was his place in the social hierarchy of the school?

"Fuck that."

Cardin grunted. "What?"

Jaune's head snapped up. His eyes were narrow, watering – not tears of fear, but anger. "I said _fuck that_!" he yelled. "Fuck you and fuck your stupid bullying! You think it makes you bigger or something? Does it make you feel good!? You're nothing, Cardin. I couldn't care _less_ about you're here hunting me down for no other reason than to be an asshole. Well, grow up! No one car-" Jaune choked as the air was driven from his lungs. He folded over Cardin's fist.

"Talking back to your betters?" Cardin sneered. "That's ballsy. Stupid, but ballsy." He brought his fist back and laughed as Jaune hacked for air, suspended against the locker. "If you say sorry, I might let you go. You've got to mean it, though."

Jaune's eyes, one closed as he gasped, looked up through his bangs. "F-Fuck you…"

Cardin grunted. "Tch. Wrong answer."

He brought his fist back for another blow.

A hand caught it.

Cardin growled. "What the f-"

"Drop him." Yang Xiao-Long ordered. She stood alone, behind Cardin and between his group, her eyes shadowed and rimmed with red, her lips pulled down, hair flat and lifeless. Despite that, she still managed to somehow look equal parts dangerous and attractive. At Cardin's silence, she pulled his arm back, twisting slightly. "Drop him."

"Alright, alright." Cardin did so, though not without a final push to shake the lockers and earn another grunt from Jaune. Cardin turned and pulled his hand out of Yang's grip. He massaged it slightly. "Got a problem, Dragon?" he asked, using Yang's nickname. "Didn't think you knew the runt. Last I checked, you didn't care about much."

Yang rolled her eyes and placed a hand on Cardin's chest to push him away. "Don't," she grunted, stepping toward Jaune. Rather than offer a hand, she fisted hers in his jacket and _hauled_ him to his feet. "Move," she commanded, dragging him away.

Jaune stumbled. "W-Wait."

"I _said_ move," Yang hissed, unrelenting.

Cardin and his group laughed as he was dragged off, enjoying his panic even if their own fun had been interrupted. They didn't challenge Yang, though whether that was because they didn't think they could win, didn't want to risk it or just didn't want to hit a girl, he wasn't sure. Being what Yang was, he thought she probably _could_ take Cardin down. But no one would know that.

"You're a pain in the ass," Yang said, not even looking back. "Can't believe I'm the one suckered into watching out for you."

"Y-You are? By who?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yes."

"No," she interrupted. "No, it doesn't." She rounded on him suddenly, and although she neither hit him nor made to, Jaune found himself backing up, more afraid of her than he was Cardin. Yang looked him up and down. Her face twisted as she did. "You could learn to fight better than him. Ruby offered to help you."

"I-I can't fight."

"Won't fight, you mean."

Jaune had no answer.

Yang scoffed and turned away. "Don't fight, then, but if you're determined to take it, then take it. Don't talk back and make it worse. Stand up to them or surrender completely. Anything in the middle is just stupid."

He scowled. "Why do you care?"

"I care because you've got a duty now. You want to be a healer and stay out of danger, fine. But if you get hurt and can't heal because you decided to be a fucking idiot, and someone dies as a result, it'll be your fault. If that someone is Ruby, I'll hold you responsible."

"You… really don't like me. Do you?"

"Not particularly." Yang shrugged. "Don't take it personally. Between looking after Ruby, fighting the Grimm and trying to stay alive, I don't have the time to make friends."

"What about your friend at school?"

Yang snorted. "You'll see. You're eating lunch with us."

"W-What? Why?"

"So you're not getting knocked around by them."

Jaune sighed. "Why do you even care?"

"Because time spent recovering from injuries caused by school bullies is time not spent helping people recover from injuries caused by Grimm." Yang sighed. "If you want to prove you don't need me to cover for you, prove you can look after yourself. _Without_ making yourself into a punching bag."

"And if I refuse?"

"You don't." Yang gripped his arm and dragged him down the corridor, her grip as hard as steel. It earned more than a few looks from those nearby, who couldn't understand why the school heartthrob and rebel was with one of the numerable nerds.

The staring only got worse once they entered the cafeteria. Everyone watched, even Ren and Nora, the former of which had his eyebrows raising towards his hairline. Nora brought out her cell and started to take pictures. Traitor!

Strangely enough, Yang didn't head to the table where her clique were chatting animatedly. Instead, she pushed him down into a chair at an empty table and sat next to him. "Don't leave," she said. "I'll know if you try and you won't like me dragging you back."

"You can't keep me prisoner all day!"

"I won't have to. Only until lunch is over."

Which, judging from the clock on the wall, was only another forty or so minutes. Jaune grumbled but settled down, not wanting to test Yang just to get a half hour to himself. It wasn't worth the trouble, neither here nor later at the Beacon, where he'd have to see her again.

The chairs around them scraped away and people sat down. Yang's clique had come to her, and they were giving him some strange looks.

"Hey Yang," a pretty girl called Stacey said, "What's with the… uh…"

"Jaune," Yang grunted.

"Yeah, Jaune. What's he doing here?"

"Sitting."

Stacey looked to her friends for help. An attractive man stepped in, "I think Stace was asking _why_ he's here." He offered a grin to Jaune. "No offence, but you're not exactly the kind to hang around here."

He had really just said no offence and then clearly called him unpopular? Jaune wasn't sure what to say. "Uh. None taken?"

"Does it matter? I said he stays. He stays. You can always fuck off."

Her words said, Yang placed both arms on the table and then her face atop them. She was unconscious in a matter of seconds – literal seconds. Her light snoring might have been called cute if not for how cantankerous she was. Jaune was more surprised she'd just fall asleep in the middle of the cafeteria.

Then again, Yang slept through most of her lessons too. A lot of the teachers had stopped bothering to wake her, since she'd either fall asleep again or fall asleep in detention. It was easier to just let her sleep at the back of the class and not disrupt everyone else.

He expected more pushback from the others at the table now that he'd been essentially abandoned, but they didn't tell him to leave. They didn't talk to him either, chatting between themselves, but they didn't try to force him away or give him any trouble. More than that, they didn't seem to care that Yang had been so rude to them, or that she'd fallen asleep in their presence. It was obviously a common scene.

 _It's more like they're talking over Yang than to her…_

Yang was out like a light. Now that she wasn't scowling at him, Jaune could see the signs of fatigue on her face. No, not fatigue, complete exhaustion. Her skin was pinched in places and the bags under her eyes were heavy, blended into her eye shadow makeup, but still there if you looked for it. This was a woman who wasn't sleeping well, and possibly hadn't for a long time. Ever since she Awakened, he assumed.

Was this what awaited him? A life of hunting for the odd hour of sleep in the middle of the day, no matter what it did to his grades, social life or family? It was obvious Yang was living the nocturnal life now.

With a heavy sigh, Jaune put his own hands down and mimicked her position.

He fell asleep before he knew it.

/-/

 _Drip-Drip_

The ocean was dark.

He was here again, he realised. Except that this time, in contrast to the other times, he was capable of realising that fact. He was in an ocean and didn't need to breathe, which meant he was in the Other World. The world of the Grimm.

Something in the dark, lonely depths called to him. It was a compulsion to swim lower, to find it – the part of him that was missing. That was the only way he could think to describe it, that there was a part of him down there and it was calling out to him.

The draw was daunting.

Jaune kicked his legs in the opposite direction. Up, up towards where the surface of the ocean had to be. There was no telling what was up there, but it had to be better than whatever hunted him. He could still remember the giant creature and its huge, glowing eyes.

Oddly, the memory brought no fear, and he noticed that he didn't feel any now, swimming as he was in an ocean that contained a monster looking specifically for him. He didn't feel calm, but rather an absence of fear, as if his emotions – his thoughts – were muted. Perhaps they were. Maybe he wasn't fully asleep, or maybe it took time to filter through.

For now, the lack of fear helped. It kept him from freezing up, from giving up. He didn't draw breath or need it and he didn't tire. The Grimm had no organs when in their world and he had the feeling that, if he cut himself open, he would be the same.

Not willing to test it, though.

A deep, cavernous hum came from the depths below.

Jaune looked down, wincing as the pull became stronger, almost like a current dragging him down. It wasn't physical, but emotional – or maybe spiritual. His body didn't move in the water, but the act of kicking his legs to go up became… harder. He became weaker.

More than that, he struggled to breathe.

But he didn't need to breathe. Why was he-? Why did it feel like he was drowning the closer he got to the surface?

Light danced on it above. He could make out sunlight now, and the reflections it made on the water, piercing through the gloom in rays of warm light that bathed his body, even as they choked him. His eyes burned, his lungs burned, despite not having the latter and, probably, not having the former.

Jaune writhed in the water.

Began to die in the water.

W-Why?

Another roar from the depths below. Another tug, a pull.

Vision growing dark, he reached out toward the surface, hoping to break it and touch the air, even if only with his fingertips. They came so close. With one last kick, he pushed up, reaching with his hand wide and open.

His fingers touched the water's surface-

And they bent back.

He couldn't reach through it.

Like fingers touching a pane of glass, he could run his hands up and over it, feeling the waves from the underside, seeing the refractions of light. It was just that he couldn't break it. Couldn't reach through, couldn't touch the air he could see on the other side.

And worse, the lungs that did not exist were burning even further. His strength left him, mouth opening in an agonised gasp.

His body began to sink lower.

 _Drip-Drip_

Yellow eyes in the depth worked their way upwards. He could see them now, deep and murky, yet big. Like the spotlight of some horrible submarine.

 _Splash_

Jaune wheezed. "I… see you…"

" **And I, you."**

 _Jaune…_

Something tickled the back of his mind. He looked up, to the water's surface. The monster from below was approaching, still shrouded in shadow, or perhaps it was just the bright eyes that blinded him and made its body seem a silhouette.

A hand broke through the water above and gripped his shoulder.

"JAUNE!"

/-/

He awoke gasping for breath. His eyes darted left and right.

A table, cheap and plastic. White walls, grey floor. The kitchen. Cafeteria, school, Eastfield.

The hand on his shoulder shook him again. "Jaune," Ren said, concerned and rushed. "Are you up?"

"R-Ren…?"

"Finally. Lunch is about to end. We've got free period, but you can't sleep here." Ren sighed. "You looked like you were having a nightmare again. Are you sure you're okay?"

No. He was anything but.

The Grimm had found him during the day, and not even on the night of a Nightmare. It was worse than he, than Ozpin, had thought possible. Every time he slept, he was in danger. At this point, it was just a matter of time.

He couldn't stay awake forever.

"I'm fine."

"We both know that's a lie, Jaune." Ren's hand on his shoulder tightened. "You know you can trust me, right? If there's anything you need help with…"

"I know."

God, he wished he could ask Ren for help with this, he really did. But he wouldn't be nearly as good a friend for opening Ren's mind to this horror.

"This is something I need to get through on my own. Not out of stubbornness," he quickly said, "But because it's not something you or Nora can help with. I'm sorry."

"If it's about what happened before, you could seek help-"

"I have help," he promised. "It's just… early days. Needs time to work."

"If you say so." Ren let it go, or at least did so for now. "So, you and the Dragon. Anything I should know?"

Jaune groaned. "No. Nothing at all."

"You sure? Nora's not going to accept that."

"It's not what you think." He pushed himself up and out the seat, gripping the edge of the table for support. The nap had brought on the end of Ozpin's drugs, leaving him tired once more. His body wanted to go back to sleep, and to hell with the consequences.

"I guess it can't be. She's an odd one. Dragged you in and then went straight to sleep. Then again, you did the same. That's one way to sleep with a girl."

"Really? You?"

"Thought I'd make the joke before Nora does." Ren grabbed his arm to steady him. "Come on, let's get you to next class. You really need to get this sorted out, though. I'm not carrying you through the rest of the year."

At this rate, he wouldn't have to. Something would give well before then. Either him, or the demon.

Jaune smiled either way. "Sure. Thanks for putting up with me."

"Someone has. Might as well be-"

"Excuse me," a voice interrupted. "I'm looking for the main reception hall. Can you tell me the way?"

 _Drip-Drip_

White hair. That was the first thought to pass his mind.

The next was pain.

"Ah!" Jaune flinched back.

The girl did the same, clutching her forehead. "Kuh…"

 _Splash-Splash_

 _Drip-Drip_

 _Splash-Splash_

It was like a fish caught on dry land, splashing about in a puddle as it died - wild, angry and frantic – except trapped in his skull, lashing against the confines of his mind. Jaune grit his teeth together and tried to ride it out.

 _Splash-Splash-Splash-Splash_

The girl was no better. She swayed and caught herself on the wall, one hand gripping the bridge of her nose tightly. Her eyes were clenched shut, bags visible. The girl shivered.

"Are you okay?" Ren asked, suddenly nervous.

"I'm fine!" the girl cried. _Screamed_. Like she had to speak so loud to be heard over some raucous noise. Her eyes snapped open, bloodshot. First onto Ren and then to Jaune. The girl looked like a trapped animal. "F-Forgive me," she hissed, "I-I need to see the nurse."

Without waiting for a response, the girl pushed by, fleeing down the hall. She almost stumbled once but caught herself on some lockers, practically _dragging_ herself down them. Once she rounded the corner, the pain in his head began to subside.

 _Drip – Drip_

"Weirder and weirder," Ren remarked. "Did you- Jaune!? You're bleeding!"

"It's nothing," he croaked. "Bleeding?"

"Don't say it's nothing if you don't even know what it is. Your nose."

Jaune's hand came up and then away, damp. His fingers were stained with bright red blood, which must have been pouring from his nose. A drop rushed by his lips, splashing onto the tiled floor below.

"Let's get you some tissue," Ren said, leading him toward one of the nearest toilets. "If it's not one thing, it's another. Do you need to see the nurse as well?"

And run into that girl again? There was no suggesting this wasn't caused by her. The moment he'd seen her, he almost lost his mind.

"No."

 _What was that? I've been around Blake and Ruby with less reaction than that. Yet I bump into her once and this happens?_ Blake could have warned him, since she'd clearly known. _You'll notice her immediately. Won't be able to ignore her, huh? Damn it, Blake. A little warning would have been nice._ Either way, there was no denying what he'd just seen.

He'd found the girl Blake was after.

/-/

Weiss slumped over the sink with the water still running, splashing the spray up into her face. Pink washed away down the sink, blood from where she'd bit her tongue so hard her teeth pierced the flesh. Angrily, she spat out another glob and watching it swirl in circles. The motion soothed her, if only a little. Much of the pain was a memory now, the sensation having vanished the moment that person was out of sight.

Even if the pain was gone, she still drew in great, shaky breaths.

There was a mirror above and before her, covering most of the wall. Weiss tried not to look into it, focusing instead on blood in the water. She ran her tongue around the inside of her teeth, testing the wound. It had closed already but was still sore. Spitting one last time, she was relieved to find no blood present. No one would know. No one except those two boys, but since she recognised neither, they couldn't have been a part of her new class.

It was a small mercy. Weiss collected them where she could.

 _Tscchhh – Clink – Clink_

At least _that_ was back to normal, though she'd never thought she would think anything good of it. The moment she'd seen that boy – a boy she could still barely remember, because she'd torn her eyes away the moment the pain struck – the noise in her head had changed. No longer a sound like a single mirror breaking, and shards of glass tinkling to the floor, but something far louder, far more aggressive.

It had been like a car crashing into a hall of mirrors, or someone taking a sledgehammer into a store selling them. The constant _smashing_ and _breaking_ had all but driven her to her knees.

"What is going on in this city? Am I really losing my mind?"

The Weiss in the mirror didn't provide an answer. That Weiss was hunched over, lips peeled back into a furious snarl revealing razor-sharp teeth. They, and much of her face, were stained with blood. Her eyes glowed a sickly yellow-green.

"No." Weiss looked away. Her fingers touched her own skin, finding no such blood. "I'm normal," she whispered, stumbling for the door. "I'm normal. Completely normal."

The Weiss in the mirror sneered and watched her go.

/-/

Ozpin paused in the middle of cleaning a pint glass. A small speck of red had appeared upon the glass and ran down it, leaving a trail behind. He paused, placed the glass and dishcloth down and then reached up for his nose. Dry. His fingers came away clean.

Frowning, he looked down to the glass again.

Velvet shrieked.

Turning quickly and reaching under the bar, Ozpin's hand touched the hilt of a cane. It came out quickly and was in his hand, the blade within drawn free with a snap and a click, revealing naked steel. He stepped towards Velvet, pushing her back with one hand.

Her eyes were wide and afraid, staring at the wall behind them, the display and shelves where all the glasses were kept before they were served. Each and every one of them was bleeding, as if wounded. The glass itself cut and spilling blood than ran down the sides, pooling over the shelf and down onto the wooden floorboards.

Ozpin hummed.

"That's not a good sign…"

* * *

 **Yep, it was Weiss that Blake referred to last chapter – and there's something going on with her, as if that wasn't hugely apparent. Less apparent would be why Jaune had such a reaction to** _ **her**_ **and not anyone else.**

 **All will be revealed.** **At some point…**

 **Ozpin makes some keen and insightful observations. Definitely not an understatement in any way.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 16** **th** **December**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	13. Chapter 13

**So, glad to see people were interested in the weird shenanigans of last chapter. I was surprised and a little pleased that one or two actually managed to figure out what was going on from the limited hints.**

 **As a quick reminder, there is no unseen hunt next week because of my Christmas break. Next will be in two weeks.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 13**

* * *

Ruby looked down at her drink in confusion. "Um. I asked for cola, not coffee…"

"It is cola."

"Served in a mug?"

"All drinks will be served in porcelain or ceramic," Ozpin said, cleaning one such mug behind the bar. He looked irritated, or perhaps just spent. He often did, the lines across his face speaking of years beyond his actual age, but tonight he looked especially haggard. "Unless you want to find out what kind of hepatitis demons have."

Ruby heisted. "I… don't think I understand."

"Then you're in excellent company."

"Is this something to do with that?" Ruby asked, pointing back over her shoulder with one thumb. Velvet and Oscar were busy using a hose to wash down a stack of glasses, all secured in the cage-like structure Ozpin used to put them into his industrial-sized washing machine. Even so, they rattled angrily as the water washed them.

"Astute as ever, Miss Rose. I wonder if it is the fact it is happening in the middle of the pub, in plain sight with everyone staring, that has clued you in."

Ruby felt more than sensed the sarcasm. "Um. Is everything okay?"

"Define okay." Ozpin didn't give her the chance to do so and sighed tiredly. He thumbed at one eye, placing the mug down on the side with a heavy click. "My apologies, I shouldn't be lashing out at you. Things are not, as you say, okay. I'm not sure in what way they are going wrong, but I am of the opinion that bleeding glassware is not something I should consider a positive omen."

"Yeah, I'll say." Ruby looked over to the windows of the Beacon, where a couple of volunteers were busy scrubbing off the blood. It was not just the glasses that had displayed the odd characteristic, nor just those at the Beacon. Much of the glass in the city – inside buildings and out – had bled. Although she hadn't checked the news, she could imagine it was causing something of a stir. "How are the Dreamers handling it?"

"Ignorant as usual. For that, they are blessed. Nothing has been decided yet, but my sources tell me they're leaning towards copper in the rain, some kind of acid rain, a rust phenomenon or even some chemical reaction between the air and a coating used in glass in the city." Ozpin chuckled. "Global warming has also been thrown around, but so has aliens, government experimentation and the CIA."

"Conspiracy theories?"

"Some, of course. I've heard it said that Vale was built as an experiment for a new glass-coated technology, and that this is the first sign of it going wrong. Of course, there are those who claim it _is_ blood, but they are being ignored."

"Glass doesn't bleed," Ruby said. "Everyone knows that."

That surety of knowledge, the absolute certainty, was what kept Dreamers in the dream. Like many others, she wished she could find refuge in that. No Hunter considered themselves blessed. They were all of them trapped in a waking world filled with nightmares.

Ozpin had been trapped longer than any of them, yet he still found the opportunity to laugh at her little joke. "Exactly." He sobered quickly. "I want you to keep your eyes out for any more Awakened in the coming days, however. There's bound to be some who Awaken from this. I know you can sense them."

"I-It's not a nice feeling, Ozpin…"

"I know. I wouldn't ask this of you if it wasn't necessary, Ruby. You've shown remarkable self-control so far. I trust you not to let anything happen. Tell me, what of the presence in the mall? Did you and Yang find anything?"

"There was a Grimm, but there was also a murderer. Unrelated for the most part. He was some rich ass getting his jollies killing homeless people because he thought no one would care." Ruby scowled at the memory and took a quick drink. "Yang dealt with him."

"And the Grimm?"

"Drawn to the violence, we think. It stayed around the area – showed a little more… uh… awareness of the world. Not on the same level as the big ones, but halfway there maybe. I think that if it had stayed there killing and devouring those that Awakened, we might have had a problem. I killed it. It's gone."

"Well done." Ozpin nodded, drew out a small notebook and wrote some numbers down on it. Credit, in a sense, to be redeemed at the Beacon for food, drink and more. Her credit was not insignificant; enough to live a year or more of peace if she wanted.

No one ever did, of course. Once you saw the world for what it was, it was hard to not get involved.

"What are we going to do about this blood thing?" she asked. "Someone's responsible, right? You need me to hunt them down?" She would do so happily. It would give her a chance to avoid Jaune for a bit, and she doubted it was him since this happened quite a few days after he awakened.

"Actually, I have a different task for Yang and yourself. No less important, I assure you. Quite a bit more in fact."

"Yeah?" Ruby leaned forward. "What is it? I'll fill Yang in if you tell me. She's catching some sleep right now."

"Of course, of course." Ozpin coughed into one hand and drew out a laptop, turning it around so that she could see the local news, freshly updated. The image was of the side of a building that had a thick, red liquid dripping down its side. "Although much of the blood is being dismissed as something else, the city has still taken some in for testing. It's only natural. They want to see what the compounds are and what it is, whether it's toxic. The usual. Our problem is that this _is_ blood, and although we can't tell if it's human, Grimm or something else, it will easily be distinguished as nothing as benign as rust."

"Causing a mass panic," Ruby realised. "People will start to think outside the box. The conspiracy theories will be believed and those that already believe them will go further."

"A mass awakening." Ozpin agreed.

A sliver of fear wormed its way into her stomach. She could imagine it now, tens of thousands of people slowly starting to accept that there might be something supernatural. All of them suddenly being seen by the Grimm, the influx of souls into the _Other World_. Even if it wasn't so dramatic and only half a per cent believed it, if the news was broadcast over all of the US, that was going to be a vast number.

"The barrier might shatter in an instant," Ozpin said, confirming her worst fears. "Worse, the spread would be across all the US, maybe even the world. Any hope we would have of dealing with the aftermath would be lost. Vale would crumble. It might only be the first city of many."

"Okay. You've got my attention. What do we do?"

"I've prepared some rust solution with a few other compounds, some toxic, some not. It'll give the city something to investigate, and something to focus on. Importantly, it _looks_ the same as what was collected." Ozpin reached under the bar and brought out a sealed box, which he opened to reveal a large container settled in ice. True to his words, it looked and had the viscosity of blood. Ruby might have believed it was if not for his words.

"So, I'm to steal the blood and put this in its place?"

"Yes. I've managed to isolate where it has been sent for testing. A hospital – no better place for it, after all. I don't expect there will be guards, as this isn't something valuable that needs protecting. I'll need you and Yang to get in, locate the stored vials and replace the contents with this. Importantly, you'll need to do so without being seen or monitored. There's no need to collect the blood, we have more than enough of it here, but you may as well bring it back if only so we can destroy it."

It wouldn't be enough to stop every Tom, Dick and Harry who had collected the blood from trying to look into it – but then, there was no preventing that. Sadly, those who were skilled enough to find out the truth and realise it would likely be dealt with by the Grimm. To believe the blood was inhuman would be to awaken, and from there, the Grimm would hide their own secrets, unless that person was fortunate enough to find a Hunter to protect them. If so, the Hunter could impress the need for secrecy.

One way or another, the news would be quashed. It had to be, or hundreds of thousands of people would be forced to confront the reality of the world they lived in. The number of the Awakened would swell, and every single one of them would be helpless before the Grimm that hunted them. It would be a massacre.

Ruby took the cooler box. "We'll get it done, Ozpin. I promise."

"Thank you, Ruby. We shall be relying on both you and your sister for this. Do whatever you have to."

/-/

"That's her," Blake said, leaning over his shoulder to take a look at the photo he'd snapped on his phone. Taking it had been hard enough with the effect she had on him, but he'd managed to get a shot from behind, showing her frame and hair. He'd also gotten a name from another student who shared a class with her; Weiss Schnee, a new transfer from somewhere in New York. A loner from what he'd been told, polite to a fault, but sharp and not at all interested in making friends.

It was enough for Blake.

"I had a feeling she'd be going to your school. Inevitable, really."

Jaune winced. Although Blake didn't seem to have any qualms standing closely behind him, one hand on his shoulder, he certainly couldn't say the same. He was all too aware of what she was and how dangerous. On the brighter side, she'd fixed his window – or paid someone to come do it. _Come to think of it, how does she earn money? I doubt she has a job._

He probably didn't want to know how a deadly soul-eating demon acquired human tender.

"What do you mean by inevitable?"

"Fate has a funny way of making things work. Even if we stick to our own domains where possible, conflicts still occur. It's rare for two of our kind to get along."

"Like you and your mate?"

"Like I said, rare." Blake stepped back and shook her head. She'd done away with her hoodie in the confines of his apartment, and the two feline ears atop her head flicked back and forth, listening to every little thing. There was no doubting they were real. A mutation, perhaps? It had to be some effect of Blake taking over the body. "Most times, meetings lead to conflict. Between the greater of us, anyway. Those that you call the Grimm are little more than wild animals compared to us. We may kill them, but we may equally spare them as you might a squirrel or rodent."

The more he learned, the less and less human she appeared.

"You should pay particular attention to mates," she said. "After all, you've earned the attention of one."

"Rebecca!?"

"I would think so. I'd never heard of _him_ being mated, but then I hardly care for such things. Either way, if this Rebecca chose to impose a Ritual on you to feed your soul to him, they must be working together. Considering how unlikely that is, and how _he_ would come forth here, encroaching on her domain in this world, I can only assume they are mated."

"Wait, wait, wait. Let me see if I've got this straight. You're saying that a demon came over into this world, befriended and tricked me – and then tried to sacrifice me – all so that it could bring its boyfriend over for some nookie?"

Blake rolled her eyes. "In simplistic, human terms, yes. I doubt physical pleasure is the main goal here, more the establishment of territory in this world. A stepping stone, or a means to devour more souls and grow stronger in _ours_."

"To… gain more territory?"

"Most likely. Something you need to understand is that, while your world is _interesting_ , it is not our world. I spend my time in both, and I enjoy the little curiosities here, but I'm hardly married to this plane of existence. They are likely the same. They may have designs here, but it will be to further their efforts in our world. Your world is ultimately expendable."

"Not to us, it's not."

"No. Of course not."

"What about you?" he asked. "Why don't _you_ want any of this?"

Or did she, and she just wasn't telling him? There was no reading her, and if he ever got close to the answer, she might just kill him.

"I have all that I might want in my world already. I'm here for curiosity." Her feline ears twitched, selling the old phrase. "That said, I'm not eager to sit by and let someone whose domain borders mine expand it. Certainly not the Leviathan."

The name resonated within him. Bellowed.

 _Drip – Splash_

"The Leviathan… That's what is after me, isn't it?"

"Hm." Blake nodded. "I said I would assist you for finding this girl for me. Information will serve as a start. The Leviathan is a title more than a name; his name exists in characters your language and mouths cannot produce. He dwells in the great ocean, rules over it. King of the Seas. None live in his domain, as he guards it jealously."

Jaune shivered. He felt cold and shrouded with water. "That certainly explains why there was never any sea life…"

"The Leviathan does not parlay with others of our kind. I'm loathe to allow him to expand his territory, especially when it would mean flooding my Glade." Blake's lips peeled back, revealing human teeth that gnashed and snarled. "I cannot fight him were I drowned."

"So, what do I do to escape him?"

"You cannot leave our world while Awakened, and there is no way to put you back into a dreamlike state. Killing the Leviathan is also not an option. Your best bet is to escape, but you cannot do that while his attention is focused solely on you."

"And his attention is on me because of this… mark you spoke of. The ritual."

"Yes. As such, your first goal should be to locate and deal with this Rebecca Farleigh. I will assist you as I can," she said, holding out a hand to forestall his argument, "But I have affairs of my own. The girl, for instance."

Jaune hadn't forgotten about her.

"What is the big deal with this Weiss girl? You're after her – and the second we made eye contact, it felt like my head was close to exploding."

"A meeting of titans," Blake said mysteriously. "It's best you not dwell on it as it helps you none."

Maybe, but there was no denying the guilt he felt giving her identity and information to Blake. "What do you have in stall for her?"

"Concerned? Don't tell me you've developed feelings for the girl. Given your circumstances, that might not be a good idea."

"N-No, no. I'm just…" He trailed off.

Blake watched him for a few moments, either figuring out or gauging his worry from his silence. Eventually, she sighed. "I do not intend to kill her, if that is what you are thinking. Like you, she is Awakened, and your circumstances are not dissimilar. Her soul, however, is out of both of our reaches. As for my intent…" Blake looked away. "It is not to kill her. You may rest assured of that. If I'd wanted her dead, I'd hardly have needed your aid."

"What, then? Another territorial dispute?"

"Something like that…" Blake paused. "It's as good an answer as any. You have other things to focus on."

Rebecca. While he had no idea what was going to happen to Weiss, he couldn't take the time to worry about her, let alone help. Even if he tried to warn her, his head would probably explode before he got close enough. If the agony they'd both felt was from just being close for a minute, there was no telling what constant exposure would do.

Maybe he could tell the Hunters, though. They'd be able to get in touch with and protect her – but in doing so, he'd all but certainly piss Blake off. The question was, how much and for how long did he need her help?

And would he survive turning on her?

"You said you'd help me find her. Information is nice, and I appreciate it, but I need to be able to find her in person. You can smell her, right?"

"I can smell her scent on you. The problem is that it has weakened…"

"As in… spiritually, or…?"

"Physically. Showers, time or just distance. Her physical scent marked you, but it has become muddied with those of others. My own, the pretender, even our new friend in Eastfield. It makes isolating her scent a little more difficult."

Jaune cursed. It _had_ been a couple of days since he'd last seen Rebecca Farleigh, so it made sense things would change since then. "What do we do, then? Wander around and hope you pick it up again?"

"That would be inefficient. Right now, you don't have the time to waste. Her scent has weakened, but the scent of her mate has not – and that same scent will likely cling to her. I might be able to use that to find her, but it is also weak. The difference is, you have an easy source of more."

"I don't like the sound of that…" He took a step back. "And how is it weak? I've been attacked by him – the Leviathan – way more times than Rebecca."

"You have been attacked in another dimension. The scent carries, but it is still diminished. Not to mention the salt water playing havoc with my senses." Blake scrunched up her nose, and he wondered just how badly he stank of it. "Every minute since makes it fade. I need something fresher."

"Look, it's obvious you have a plan and just as obvious I'm desperate enough as to not have a choice right now. Just tell me what I have to do."

Blake accepted his point with a nod. "Very well. You must sleep with me beside you. Enter our realm and draw the Leviathan to you. With me beside your body, I'll be able to get his scent fresh from the source."

Sleep again, and in doing so, risk his life. He wanted to say no, but there really wasn't much of a choice.

"Will you wake me up if I'm in danger?"

"Yes. I will be able to smell his approach to you. And should you wake up… not in your own mind, I shall grant you a quick death."

That wasn't nearly as comforting as he thought it was meant to be, but he nodded anyway. While the thought of Blake killing him was understandably terrifying, it _would_ be better than letting some monster inhabit his body and kill his family. Besides, Blake wouldn't be killing him at that point. He'd already be dead.

"O-Okay, fine. Here and now?"

"It is as good a time as any. You can rest for an hour or two before night falls, and still have time to reach your friends for safety."

Considering he hadn't slept the night before, he'd need every hour he could get. Jaune yawned, the reflexive action coming at even the thought of rest. If not now, he'd only collapse later – and there might not be someone to wake him up.

Without answering, Jaune made his way to his bed and laid down. Blake followed and knelt on the side of the mattress. Though she obviously didn't see anything odd or embarrassing about that, he had to look away.

She didn't notice. "Sleep. I shall watch over you this one time."

He wanted to ask why she couldn't in the future, but the words didn't come. The moment his eyes closed, exhaustion set in, robbing him of thought like a mallet to the back of the skull.

/-/

The transition between the waking world and the dream world was less jarring this time. Jaune was aware going in as to what to expect, and so opening his eyes and finding himself surrounded by, and under, water, offered little shock.

The colour of it, on the other hand, most certainly did.

The water was a dark red, the maroon colour swirling like mist or, more accurately, like a drop of food colouring let drip into a glass of clear water. It swirled and pooled, hung like a miasma that he was in the centre of.

There were also bloody chunks of flesh floating in the water around him, as if someone were chumming the water to draw a shark, yet had simply left the guts, skin and meat behind. Not for the first time, he was grateful for the lack of any real sensation. He couldn't smell the gore, nor taste it.

There was a lot of it, though.

A lot.

It wasn't a bucket, so much as a skip. Like a whale hit by a torpedo or something. Great chunks floated by, some as big as himself, and although blood stained the water, it had long since ceased to pool from the flesh itself.

 _I thought Blake said I'd be the only thing here._

Curiosity got the better of him and he turned in the water, pushing himself around to get a better bearing. He hadn't realised it at first – the water being darkened by the blood – but he was near the surface once more, the same spot he'd been at when he'd slept in the cafeteria before meeting Weiss.

At least, it looked like it might be. The ocean seemed to expand in every direction as far as he could see, with no landmarks under or above the water to see. He could have been a thousand miles away for all he knew.

He kicked his legs to propel him higher. The last time he'd tried to break the surface, it hadn't worked, but he tried again, if only to see if anything was different.

It wasn't.

His fingers touched the underside of the surface, but it was again like touching a pane of glass. A moving one that rippled with waves and the current, but a barrier nonetheless. He thrust a fist against it but punching underwater was as hard as it sounded and his hand limply bounced off without making a mark.

 _Drip – Drip_

Jaune looked around wildly at the sound, arms flailing in the water. The dark depths visible beyond the red mist continued on into darkness, with no sight nor sound of the bright eyes of the Leviathan that dwelled in the deep.

 _Is it because it's day that it can't find me? Or maybe it's just far away from here…_

Either would have been convenient at any other time, but now he had to actively _find_ the beast so that Blake would wake him up.

If she honoured her side of the deal.

 _Come to think of it, for all I know she could be working with the Leviathan._

The thought was a worrying one, though ultimately useless. If she was, then he was already dead. If not now, then later, when he eventually fell asleep for longer. Once his body gave in, he'd likely collapse for twelve hours or more, enough time for it to find and kill him. Faced with the prospect of that now or later, the risks involved in working with Blake hardly even mattered.

With a reluctant shiver, Jaune began to swim deeper, out of the flesh and blood and down towards the inky black that lay below, where the sunlight from above would no longer pierce.

An odd `thud-thud` noise sounded behind – above. The sound of something impacting a solid object, almost like someone knocking on a door, muffled by the water. Looking back up, Jaune imagined he could see a shape – a shadow – backlit against the sunlight yet distorted by the rippling waves. Humanoid in shape, small enough to be a similar size to himself.

There was a far grater shadow behind it. One that blotted out the sky.

 _Drip – Splash_

 _Splash – Splash_

Behind.

He knew it before he knew it, even if that didn't make sense. An understanding – an absolute certainty. Leviathan was behind him, coming towards the surface. Nothing else made sense. It was focused on him, but also not him.

Anger, bestial.

A roar that shook the water, the waves, the figure, him, his bones, his blood, his mind. The world shimmered and twisted, folded in on itself as his brain _writhed_ in his skull. The water around him began to boil and bubble as something _surged_ up from the depths.

A sharp pain stung his face.

/-/

His eyes snapped open in the real world, looking blearily up through a haze of moisture. Blake knelt above him, her knees straddling his body, one hand buried in his collar, the other drawn back. His face hurt. A stinging pain across his cheek.

"Do you still reside in your body, hunted?"

"B-Blake?"

She relaxed, though only a little. Her eyes were glowing faintly. "You are you, correct?"

"I-I'm me. Jaune. C-Can't you tell?"

" _His_ scent clings to you firmly, along with that of another. Burning sunlight."

Jaune's head fell back onto the pillow as Blake released him. He glanced to the side, noted the reddening sky outside and what it meant. "Shit, I need to get to the Beacon before night sets in. You said his scent is on me. Is it enough?"

Blake leaned forward, and for a fraction of a second he thought she might press her lips to his. She didn't, of course. Her face hovered an inch from his and she dipped down, sniffing faintly. Her nose tickled the skin of his neck, making him shiver.

"It is enough," she said, drawing back. "The scent fades even now, but I have it. None can escape my nose. None have survived my hunt. This maze of stone buildings may not be my Glade, but it matters little."

Relief crashed into him. "You can find her. Rebecca."

"I will make the attempt. If she has left the city, there is little I or you can do." Noticing his panic, Blake let out a sigh. "But I doubt she will. She wishes the Leviathan here, and I doubt it is chance that had her choose Vale, a city based beside the reservoir. She will remain to see her mate take form within your body. If so, I will find her."

"W-What do I do until then?"

"Wait. Survive. Maintain your sense of self. Falter for a moment, and he shall take you." Blake stepped off him and held out a hand. When he took it, she dragged him to his feet with strength that far belied her lithe form. "Go to the hunters for now. Let them babysit you. I'll find you when I can. If you need me, you know where I rest throughout the day."

"Right. Got it."

Blake nodded and cocked her head to the side. "I would move quickly, hunted."

He was about to ask why – before a loud howl split the night.

The Grimm were already out. Shit!

"Can't you escort me to the Beacon!?"

"And place myself before the hunters, in their very stronghold? I am powerful, but this body is not." She drew up her hood, covering her feline ears. "I will protect you until you leave my domain, but that is all. It is not the eve of a Nightmare. You will be fine."

It was the best he was going to get. Jaune nodded and ran to his cupboard, dragged on a large coat and his running shoes. He snatched his phone and his wallet off the side. "What about Weiss?" he asked, pausing for a second. "What are you going to do about her? You haven't even told me why you're interested in her."

"I have not. Better it stay that way. Keep your distance from her."

"I-Is she like you? Possessed?"

"Not yet, but that makes her no less dangerous to you. Not by choice on her part, but still, the two of you should not interact. The consequences would be… problematic. Best you forget about her. I'd suggest leaving Eastfield entirely, but I know you would not."

"Cannot."

"If that is how you wish to phrase it." Blake stepped past him and paused in the doorway. "Come. It is time for you to run like the prey you are. Keep running, and hope for another predator to come and steal your hunter away before he catches you."

Jaune grit his teeth. "I'm not prey."

"Until you learn to fight back, prey is all you'll ever be."

* * *

 **There we are. There's often a real desire to make things more obvious with stories like this, namely out of a concern that those who haven't been able to figure it out will be enjoying it less. I'm trying to resist that, however. I'm hoping that even for those who are still trying to connect the dots, the reveal of things later will still be satisfying.**

 **As mentioned before, the next chapter will be in two weeks, after Christmas.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 30** **th** **December**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	14. Chapter 14

**Back from my week off, refreshed and relaxed. Thanks for the patience and I hope you all had a fun Christmas. Though it's a day or two early, a happy New Years to you all. My New Years Resolution for 2019 is to wake up at 4:30am every weekday in order to get some more writing done and also a little jogging in the mornings.**

 **I'm sure this won't be a nightmarish experience, lol**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 14**

* * *

Jaune limped into the Beacon, casting one last look toward the spectral lighthouse no one else could see. The warm lit interior welcomed him, along with several patrons already eating and drinking. He waved back to one or two he recognised and took a moment to catch his breath, one hand on the wall.

He hadn't run into any Grimm. Blake's warning aside, she'd shadowed him to the edge of her territory – which rather arbitrarily seemed to be a fast-food place dealing with sushi and seafood – and left him on his own thereafter. With the moon rising, he'd sprinted to the docks as fast as he could. Looking back, it had been silly. If there'd been no Grimm chasing him, the wiser choice would have been to conserve energy.

Either way, he was alive and safe, and without having to tussle with some monstrous being.

 _Prey_

"I'm not prey," he grumbled, headed for the bar. Blake's moniker left a sour taste in his mouth. He waved to Velvet as he sat down. "Can I get a coffee, black?"

Velvet nodded back but was busy serving drinks for some other people. He left her to it, looking out over those arranged. With night just falling, there was no way anyone was going to need medical treatment yet. It being outside of a Nightmare, the Grimm shouldn't be pushing the hunters enough to warrant it.

That gave him a chance to think more on what he was going to do about Blake and Rebecca, not that he had any answers there. His progress was dependent on Blake doing the legwork, leaving him with naught to do but wait. If she chose to take her time or if Rebecca went to ground, there was nothing he could do.

And all the while, the Leviathan was coming closer.

 _Drip – Drip_

Velvet returned with his coffee. "Here you go."

"Thanks." Jaune took a sip, the bitter and hot liquid scalding his tongue but doing the job of keeping him awake. He whistled as he put it down. "No Ruby and Yang tonight?" he asked, honestly feeling a little relieved by their absence.

"I think they're out on a task from Ozpin. Something important."

"Yeah?"

"You'd have to ask Ozpin if you want to know more."

"I'm sure he'll tell me if he wants me to know." And if not, well, the less he knew, the better. He hadn't asked to be dragged into this. "You're more used to the average night than I am. How many injured do you normally get?"

"In a night? Hm. I guess it varies. Nightmares are obviously much worse, it can be like an ER in here. It's only been half a week since the last Nightmare though, and Grimm tend to drop off for a little."

"Every time?" he asked.

"Eh. Well, things have been getting worse." Velvet looked around nervously and leaned in to whisper, "It's not something people like to talk or hear mentioned, but the times between Nightmares have been getting shorter. It used to be we'd have one every couple of months. Ozpin said that when he was younger, you might get one every year and a bit. Now? It's almost once a month. Sometimes one every twenty to twenty-five days."

"Is that the Barrier weakening?"

"Again, you'd have to ask Ozpin. I just serve drinks."

"Okay, fine. But we're only a couple of days after one. You said there's _less_ Grimm."

"Yes. Less is still some, but work tends to be easier once a Nightmare is over, at least for the other hunters. Ozpin says it's like the tide drawing back after a tidal wave. We all know it'll come again, but it's safe for now."

It was a good analogy, though he'd have preferred one less relevant to waves, water or bodies of them. He nodded his thanks to Velvet and let her go back to some other customers, watching the brunette go before turning back to his drink.

The atmosphere reflected the change of turn in a way. More hunters were spending time inside and having fun, with the general mood being that of a group of sailors who had weathered a bad storm and wanted to celebrate the fact. Some smoke wafted past his nose, carrying with it the scent of tobacco and sandalwood. It mingled with the scent of beef cooking from the kitchens to make his mouth water.

Velvet, coming back to mix a cocktail, noticed.

"I'll get you a plate, shall I?"

"Please…"

/-/

"Better?"

Jaune placed the utensils down and let out a satisfied sigh. "Much. Your brother is an amazing cook."

"I'll tell him you said that," Velvet promised with a giggle. "He's pretty shy so he doesn't come out much. Ever since… well, I'll tell him."

"Yeah."

"If you don't mine me saying, you look a little troubled. Anything I can help with?"

Troubled? Between Leviathan, Blake, Rebecca and everything else, there was plenty to be troubled about. He chose a safer topic. "Do you think it's cowardly of me not to try and fight?"

"The Grimm? Um. I think it's your decision. Ozpin doesn't mind, not with you being able to treat some of the other hunters. Specialised skills are worth far more than another pair of feet on the ground."

The way she said it sounded so hedged, so polite and eager to please, that he couldn't help but think what she really meant was `yes, it's cowardly`. She just wasn't the kind of person to say so to another's face.

"I'm not… I've never been any good at fighting."

"I don't think anyone starts off being good against the Grimm. They're kinda beyond us."

"It's not just the Grimm. I…" He ran a hand through his hair and let out a quiet sigh. "I got into a fight once, you know? A proper fight, not just the schoolyard scuffles. In my last school, against a bully." Against Cardin. "I'd had enough of how he was treating me, so I tried to take matters into my own hands and fight back. Stand up for myself."

Velvet, sensing a story, leaned against the counter. "What happened?"

"Nothing good. I decided then and there I wasn't going to take his treatment any longer. I fought back. Teachers heard."

"Ah…"

"We were both suspended. It was a close thing, to be honest. We were nearly expelled, but Mom managed to talk to principal down. Of course, that meant both me _and_ the bully got off with suspensions." He laughed bitterly. "Zero tolerance policy. Didn't matter that I was defending myself, or that he nearly beat me black and blue. Apparently, I should have been the bigger person and walked away. Even though I couldn't because he had me pinned against the lockers."

"School doesn't really prepare people for the real world," Velvet said sagely. "They claim to, but a lot of times they're just doing things to make their own lives easier. Teaching people to be passive because it makes them easier to deal with. Did the bullying stop?"

"Like hell it did. Ca- My bully got an earful from his parents for the suspension, not to mention he missed some of the school sports games. Didn't like that. He cornered me outside of school while we were suspended. Broke my arm."

Velvet gasped.

"It got better, but… well, fighting back didn't do me much good. Police couldn't do much since it was an `accident` apparently. He was always good at masking things. I tried to tell the teachers, get him moved to another school, but they just said whatever happened took place outside of school. They weren't interested."

Ever since, he'd learned that fighting back didn't solve anything and only made it worse. Cardin was a prick in school, but he'd shown he could be far worse out of it. Take it, and he'd get nothing more than the occasional swirly. Fight back, and he'd be hurt. That old adage about bullies being cowards ready to fold at the first sign of a spine? Bullshit. Sometimes, bullies could back up their words. The other snippets of advice like ignoring them and being the bigger person didn't help either. It didn't fix his problem now to know that later in life he'd not have to put up with this. If he ignored Cardin, the bastard just came back with bigger and crueller pranks.

In a way, the Grimm were little different. What was he going to do against the Leviathan? A creature so large that he'd be little more than a speck in its eye? There was no fighting that. Only the possibility of escaping it. Ignore it? Ha. As if.

"There are ways to fight back without fighting."

Jaune looked up, surprised. "Huh?"

"What you're doing here is fighting, isn't it? You're helping us fight. In an army, a medic is no less a soldier. Often, they're more important. And no one would say someone who stayed in camp healing the wounded wasn't contributing to the war. I think that counts as fighting."

Despite his mood, Jaune smiled. "Thanks, Velvet."

"Although…"

"Yeah?"

"It would be really bad for us if you were hurt by Grimm you couldn't defend yourself against. If you don't want to fight them, maybe you could learn to better escape them. Do you run much?"

"Used to, before I Awakened. It's not really safe to go running at night now."

"Maybe, but if you can run faster and for longer, you'll be able to outrun them. Maybe you should sign up for track at school if you can't go running late at night. Any practice is better than none."

Track, huh? He'd always considered it in the back of his mind but put it off because Cardin was there. Not in the track team, per se – he was more football – but still there in the sporting scene of Eastfield. On the other hand, Velvet had a point. It was his running that saved his life the first time. If he couldn't fight, he could at least keep his fitness up. "That's not a bad idea. I'll look into it." Even if he couldn't make the team, he could get some training in. "Thanks for the advice."

"I could teach you a few self-defence tricks as well if you like. Nothing to fight," she assured, "But how to escape grapples, fall without hurting yourself and break someone's hold. It might not let you beat a Grimm, but it might be enough to break free if one grabs you. Give you a chance to escape."

It was so close to what Ruby had offered, to help him learn to fight, and yet worded differently, carefully. Enough to matter.

"I… I might just take you up on that. If you have time…"

Velvet smiled. "I can make time. Oscar and I are going to be out there at some point. If one of us gets hurt, I'd want you to still be here, safe."

"Ha. Got your own motives, huh?"

"Of course!"

The two shared a laugh.

It died as Ozpin stumbled down the staircase and looked around wildly, zeroing in on him. "Jaune!" he hissed, rushing forward. Velvet gave space immediately, realising something was wrong.

"Ozpin? Is someone hurt?" Jaune was half on his feet when Ozpin reached him.

"The General Hospital. You know it?"

"I- Yes. I've done volunteer work there, and some internship. Work experience. Why?"

"Ruby and Yang are on a mission there. They need to locate some blood – Grimm blood – before the hospital manages to investigate it and realise its inhuman nature. Where would it be kept overnight? Quickly."

"Ah. Um." He wracked his mind for a moment. "Pathology. There should be a Blood Issues room if it's being kept for testing."

"Pathology," Ozpin repeated, and Jaune wondered who to for a moment, until he realised the man had a cell phone in his other hand. Probably connected through to Yang or Ruby. "A blood issues room. Did you get that?"

They must have been responding because Ozpin paused.

His expression darkened. "You're sure?"

Ruby or Yang replied.

"It's not there," Ozpin said, more for his and Velvet's benefit. He cursed. "I cannot begin to state the dangers present if that blood is tested and sent out of state. We could be looking at a full-scale Awakening. If not of the public, then of medical professionals across the US. It would be a massacre, if not a complete fracturing of the Barrier. I need you to think very carefully, Mr Arc."

"M-Me!?"

"Where might the blood be, if not in the pathology department?"

"I-I don't know."

"Think!" Ozpin hissed, gripping his shoulders. "Lives depend on this!"

Panic mounted inside of him. Shit, shit, shit. He wasn't ready for this. It had been _weeks_ since he'd done any work at the hospital. Almost three months now. His heart beat like a drum. _Okay, think. I can do this. I've worked there. Fuck. Why wouldn't it be in pathology? That's where all blood that needs testing is kept. There're legal requirements for it. It's the law._

"Jaune-" Ozpin began.

"I'm thinking!" he snapped back.

Blood had to be stored at specific temperatures for obvious reasons. Donated blood might be kept in theatre storage, but they'd never take unknown and mysterious blood and put it in there. Hospitals were prone to staff error, many of them being overworked and stressed. You wouldn't keep contaminated blood with donated blood ready for transfusion. That was just common sense. Blood that needed to be tested was kept in a blood issues room in pathology, and a lot of the testing would take place there, the better to avoid any hiccups. The only time that might change was if you needed a specialist. Some of which could work unusual hours…

"The haematologist. It might be in the haematologist's office."

Ozpin froze. "This is the one who would be testing it?"

"Yeah. Blood specialists. They wouldn't normally work this late, but if it was important…"

"Yang, you need to find the haematology office," Ozpin said into the cell. "The blood may be being tested right now. You _must_ stop that." He paused. "Where? I don't know. Doesn't the hospital have maps for this kind of thing?"

"The maps are for the general public," Jaune interrupted. "It'll show wards, cafes, bathrooms and stuff. It won't tell them where every office is."

Yang must have echoed the sentiment.

"Do _you_ know where it is?" Ozpin asked.

"I… I know how to find it…"

Ozpin nodded. "Yang, make your way to the entrance. I'm sending Jaune to you." He hung up a second later, turning on Jaune.

"W-Wait, I never said-"

"Jaune, we _need_ this. There is too much at stake."

"But the Grimm-"

"Are not out in force. I'm not sending you into a battle. I will have a hunter drive you there. Yang and Ruby will be waiting for you. Those two alone could defeat any Grimm you might come across. Fighting will not be required, but they require your knowledge of the hospital's layout."

"Can't I just direct them?"

"If you can do so over a phone and right now, yes. Can you?" Ozpin gave him a chance to say he could, but the silence spoke for itself. Ozpin's expression hardened. "If this blood isn't removed from the hospital, we are looking at a disaster. And then, if that happens, you will have no choice but to fight. Alternatively, act as their guide and we can prevent this from ever happening. If I had anyone else who could do this, I'd send them."

Damn it. And if he didn't, he'd be putting everyone else at risk, not just the people in Vale, but also his family back in Boston. He couldn't do that.

"No Grimm, right?"

"No fighting. I'll have you escorted to the hospital and Ruby and Yang can escort you back. There's no amount of Grimm those two can't protect you from. Please, Jaune, we need this."

"I…"

 _Prey is all you'll ever be._

"I'll do it."

/-/

Although the hour was late, the hospital was obviously not closed down for the night. Patients laid in wards and ambulances occasionally came to and fro, answering emergency calls in the city. The ER ward was open, and the car park was about half-full as their car pulled in and came to a stop.

"Looks like this is where I leave you," the burly man said.

"Here? Is it safe?"

"No Grimm that I can see, and look." He nodded over to a lamppost, where Jaune could just make out the form of Yang stood with hands in pockets and her hood down. "Go and talk to her. She'll look after you."

"Yeah." Not so much considering how little she liked him. Jaune thanked the driver nonetheless and climbed out the car, feeling a little more vulnerable as it pulled away. A quick glance over the car park showed no Grimm in sight, though that could obviously change. He made his way over to Yang quickly.

Noticing his approach, she stepped away from the lamp. Her eyes were a little brighter than they had been at school, a little more alert. If she slept through most lessons as he'd heard, she was probably fully nocturnal by now. "Hey. Nice to see you out and about for once. Decided to jump in the deep end?"

"Ozpin said you'd keep the Grimm off me."

"Not really what I meant, but sure. Leave 'em to us."

"Where's Ruby?"

"Still inside. She's better suited for sneaking around thanks to her… abilities." Yang looked around briefly and drew up her hood. "You might want to cover up. Plenty of cameras around here. Ozpin _did_ tell you we were breaking in, right?"

"It was implied." No way to the haematologist's office without it. Jaune drew his hoodie top up and tugged it nervously at his neck, hoping none of the CCTV cameras about would catch him. "I'm not really comfortable with this…"

"Suck it up. We're not stealing anything or hurting anyone. We're saving lives."

"Will the police see it that way?"

"No. They never do."

Yang gestured for him to follow and looped around the back of the building, away from the busy ER they both knew would be a trap. Even if they pretended to be injured, they'd be catalogued and registered, which meant the moment they disappeared, their names and identities would be the first thing the hospital went to.

"Not sure Oz ever really told you, but hunters don't have the best relationship with the authorities. Not because we hate them or anything, but because they can't understand what we do. Makes sense, right?"

"They'd be Awakened if they could…"

"Right. So, they see some hooded figures shooting air in the middle of the street and what do you think they'll do? Vale may not be the South, but you still don't want to be caught by the police with a gun. Same goes here. We can't afford to be caught breaking into a hospital."

"What do we do if we're caught?"

"We don't _get_ caught." Yang backed away from the window they were in front of. "Can you climb-? Who am I kidding, of course you can't climb. Here." She knelt, holding both hands linked together for him to step into. "I'll give you a boost. The top part of the window is unlocked."

Jaune looked towards it. It looked locked. "You sure?"

"How do you think me and Ruby got in? It's open. Trust me."

There wasn't much else he could do unless he wanted to walk back to Beacon alone, admitting his cowardice the whole time. With a nervous gulp, Jaune stepped onto Yang's hand, balancing awkwardly with both hands against the window as she hoisted him up.

"Grab on," she said, teeth gritted.

Awkwardly, he reached up for the top section of the window, pushing it in. "I've got it."

"Great."

Suddenly, the support beneath him vanished. He yelped and flopped against the window frame, legs kicking wildly as he looked for purchase. Desperately, he hauled himself up, shimmying through the narrow space so that he was balanced, half in and half out. He looked back through the window with a scowl. "A little warning next time?"

"You were heavy. Get in. Before someone walks around here."

It wasn't hard to clamber in and down to the ground, a series of lockers and storage shelves helping him to do so. Yang had chosen the window well, leading through to an abandoned store room. A janitorial one by the look of it. No hospital would store sensitive or important material in a room with a ground-floor window.

Yang pulled herself up and through with a lot less effort, landing near-silently next to him. She was already moving, towards a cardboard box which had been pulled open. "Here," she said, taking out and tossing a face mask his way. A simple, nurse's mask for contagion wards. "Additional cover in case we're spotted."

"Could it work as a disguise?"

"Not unless we found the rest of the stuff. Ruby checked." She gave him a second to pull the mask on before she continued, "ER is busy, but a lot of the corridors are quiet at this time. Some areas have footfall, but it's limited."

"Wards and ER," Jaune agreed. "There will be nurses and doctors working the graveyard shift, but they'll either be in their offices or watching over high-risk wards. Some people need treatment near twenty-four seven."

Yang paused, impressed with his knowledge. "Yeah. Guess you know your stuff here. Ruby is still at pathology. Thought we'd take you there first, just in case we missed something. Follow me and stay close. Do whatever I say."

She waited for him to nod before creeping to the door, edging it open and looking outside. Pleased with what she saw, she motioned for him to follow, stealing through the dimly lit corridors. They moved quickly, at a fast jog. It had to look suspicious to the cameras around, but then again so would two people hooded and masked. Better, perhaps, just to be fast.

They reached a staircase quickly and slid into the fire-escape section, moving up to the first and then second floor, pausing whenever they heard an elevator ding. Jaune's heart was in his throat, expecting someone to come in at any moment.

No one did. The occasional muffled conversation was audible, but the footsteps quickly led away. Visiting hours were well and truly over, so these were tired nurses and doctors working the evening shift. They were neither alert nor fully awake.

"Pathology is second floor," Yang whispered needlessly. He knew where it was. "Ruby is still there, but she may have moved if someone came in."

"No one should," he said. "Blood has to be stored over night and pathology is for testing. They wouldn't risk it with tired staff. Or they shouldn't…"

Yang nodded. "Let's not take any chances still."

Once they reached the second floor, Yang paused at the door and listened for a few seconds, looking through the fire-glass a moment later. She waved for him to follow and slipped through, leaving him to close the door quietly behind.

There were no wards on the second floor. It was a quieter, more industrial part of the hospital. Offices, staff rest rooms, kitchens and even the occasional bunk for a professional who could only afford a quick nap. There was the odd testing lab and surgery room as well, but those were hidden away on the west wing, kept away from contaminants such as food and people at rest.

Of course, the second floor was also one where patients were not allowed, making their presence all the more suspicious. Jaune eyed a camera looking out over the elevators. It _had_ to have seen them, and the light was still blinking.

"Don't look at it," Yang hissed and dragged him away. "We can't stop them without attacking the security room, and that's asking for trouble. Odds are in our favour. There'll only be a couple of people watching every camera in the hospital. As long as we're quick, we should be okay."

"Should…? You're relying on chance."

"Not much else we can do. We're not exactly the Men in Black here. We don't have gadgets to shut down cameras or hack into computer systems. Longer we spend arguing, the worse those odds become."

Jaune shook his head in bewilderment but let her drag him along. "I really thought everything would be a lot more professional than this."

Yang laughed. "Why? We're not military agents. We're unfortunate bastards like you, those with the bad luck to have Awakened." She watched him from the corner of one eye. "Take me for example, I should be any other schoolgirl worrying about dates, trips to the mall with friends and setting a good example for Ruby. Instead, I'm breaking into a hospital with some doofus to steal blood." She looked ahead with a sigh. "We're not professionals. None of us are."

The uncomfortable urge to apologise welled up inside him but was fortunately interrupted.

"Can't we cover or break them?"

"Fastest way to tell them something is wrong. They'll notice a camera acting out more than they will two people running by one for all of a few seconds."

He'd have to trust she knew more than him there. The closest he'd ever come to breaking the law like this was sneaking back into Eastfield after he'd Awakened. Well, that and drinking while being technically underage in the Beacon, but no one there was going to tell on him.

 _Drip – Drip_

"Ruby's up ahead," he whispered. "Or a Grimm…"

Yang looked surprised. "How can you tell?"

"Can't you? Don't you hear the…" He gestured towards his head.

"Hear what?"

"The…" He paused, unsure if he should continue or not. Yang didn't look just confused, but downright lost. It was obvious she wasn't hiding something; she had no idea what he was talking about. "N-Nothing."

"Didn't sound like nothing."

"N-No. I mean that I heard her. Ruby."

"Hm." Yang didn't believe him, that much was clear. "If you say so." She paused in front of a room with a number of warnings signs on the door, many for limited access, but others urging people not to open cabinets, turn off the coolers or mess with the thermostats. "We're here." She knocked on the door once.

"Maintenance in progress," a light voice replied.

 _Drip – Drip_

"Ruby, it's me."

"Yang?" There was a click as the door opened slightly, revealing a single, silver eye that flickered in the dark like a candle. Seeing Yang, Ruby pulled the door open wider, letting out a breath of relief. "Oh, thank God. Is Jaune here?"

"I'm here," he replied.

"Yeah, he's here. Quick, get in." Yang gripped his arm and hauled him forward, practically passing him on to Ruby, who caught him by the shoulders.

 _Drip – Drip_

The noise was cavernous and echoing, but not unusual. He'd heard it a thousand times before. Strange that it had been so different from Weiss, who seemed – as far as he could tell – to be similar to Ruby. Not quite glowing in the eyes from what he remembered, but still. What made such a difference?

He realised he'd been staring a little too much when Ruby pushed him up awkwardly and looked away, uncomfortable with the attention. "Um. Hey. S-Sorry to have brought you out and everything. I know you didn't want to do things like this."

"No, it's fine." It wasn't, but this wasn't Ruby's fault. Or it wouldn't be so long as he didn't find the blood just laying there on the shelf and she hadn't noticed. "Ozpin told me how important this is. And it's just a onetime thin-"

"Yeah, yeah, that's great," Yang interrupted. "But we don't exactly have time, you know. Ruby, show him where the blood was supposed to be."

Ruby nodded and hurried over to an empty cabinet that didn't, at first glance, look all that different from any other. They were all refrigerated and glass-fronted, with paper attached to the front, detailing a series of numbers and letters. Inside were racks up racks of little vials, some of the slots empty, but each that was full a glass container filled with red, wrapped in a tiny serialised barcode.

"I think it was on here," Ruby said. "I just had a… a feeling."

 _Splash – Splash_

 _Splash – Splash_

 _Splash – Splash_

He backed away, one hand raising to his forehead. Ruby watched him warily, but didn't intervene, letting him turn away from the cabinet as his vision swam. With eye contact broken, the horrendous sound in his head began to settle.

"What?" Yang asked. "Don't tell me you're afraid of blood now."

She didn't know. Couldn't know. Ruby did.

"No, it's… forget it, just a headache. Ruby's right. It's supposed to be in there."

Yang looked suspicious. "How can you tell?"

"Am I the one who knows how hospitals work or you? I just know, okay. It's protocol." A complete lie. With a force of effort, he brought his attention back to the cabinet. Now that he was prepared for it, the splashing hurt less. He could force himself through it to look over each vial.

None of them prompted a bigger reaction than the cabinet himself, and that felt muted, distant. He knew without looking that the blood wasn't here, but checked even so, peering through the cabinet at the little serial numbers.

"These are all patient vials. I think they'd keep something like this without a serial number, and there would be more of it. You wouldn't want someone to get it mixed up with patient's blood."

"So, the haematologist. Where's he?"

"It's not that easy. He could be in his office, his ward or a different research lab. Look around, see if you can find some paperwork. He'd have had to sign an out sheet to document his taking it." He started to rummage through some papers on the table beside the cabinet, looking through them.

"There's a computer over there," Ruby said. "Wouldn't it be on that?"

"Yes, but I can't access it."

"I thought you interned here."

"Interned. They weren't going to give me access to patient records, let alone blood samples. We'd have been lucky if it was left logged in, but no one here would be that stupid. Best bet is to find the paper copy."

Yang cursed and started to look. Ruby was less certain.

"Would there be one? I thought everything was on computers nowadays."

"In an ideal would it would be," he explained. "But hospitals aren't run like that. There are so many mistakes made every day and people are always overworked and in a rush. You can't just trust the computer systems. What if it goes down? What if there's a virus? With human error thrown in, hospitals do everything in triplicate, and I mean everything. If someone came to give you an injection, they'd first have to check they had the right stuff on the PC, then come and talk to you – confirm your name and treatment – then check your records, _then_ check on a handheld device to check the digital records again. Only after all that would they give you it, and then they'd have to log the injection in the system, in the paperwork attached to your bed _and_ on the ward's rota sheet."

"That sounds inefficient…"

"It is, but it's also safer. Less chance of someone making a mistake and killing a patient. The way the hospital looks at it, better to inconvenience staff than kill someone and put the same staff through court cases and reviews."

It was why the bureaucracy in a hospital was so convoluted and why everything took so much time, but it was the best system they had, even if it was flawed. Right now, it would also give them a chance to find the blood, since the haematologist couldn't just take it without signing and filing for it. If someone's blood went missing, the nurse looking for it had to be able to tell where it had gone. Immediately.

"I've got it!" Yang crowed. She pushed a sheet of paper into his hands. "This is it, right?"

"Let me check. No patient, no record, blood – three gallons? Well, that's definitely not a person's blood. This has to be it." Three gallons would be a lot to get rid of, but he could leave that to Ruby and Yang hopefully. "I was right; the haematologist has it. He's taking it to his office. First floor, west wing, right by the haematology wards." He bit his lip.

"Problem?" Ruby asked.

"If he's by the wards, he's near patients, and that means he's near nurses and doctors looking after patients."

"More people," Yang spat. "Great. Does that at least tell you _which_ ward he's at?"

"2-B."

"You know the way?"

He nodded. "I can find it."

"Guys, I think we have another problem," Ruby said. She pointed up towards the camera in the corner of the room, which had been moving back and forth automatically the whole time. It was now stood still, under manual control.

And pointing right at them.

"Shit." Yang cursed. "Time to move."

/-/

Weiss stood behind the window, both hands on the glass as she stared out into the night. Normally, she'd have been in bed at so late an hour, though not sleeping. The maids thought she was – the matron sending her to bed early because of her clear exhaustion. She'd even offered her sleeping pills. Weiss hadn't dared to take them, although she hadn't dared refuse either. Two were flushed down the toilet, the rest on the nightstand.

If she didn't make it seem like she was trying, they might take matters into their own hands.

Even if the monsters didn't come, the nightmares surely did. There had been a moment earlier, after school – where the pain and the headaches had gotten too much and she'd fell asleep in the car ride home.

The dreams had haunted her again.

Dreams of a sky, of clouds and air as far as the eye could see and she, able to crest upon them at will, flying as she wished. Such a dream would have been the envy of many. Weiss knew some would have enjoyed the apparent freedom.

At least until _it_ came for her.

"No. It's not here. Nothing is here."

Weiss looked back to the vanity mirror nervously, but the thing was covered by a sheet she'd thrown over it. The maids removed it each day and she wouldn't be surprised if her psychiatrist got it in his head she had some kind of image disorder next. Back in New York she would shatter each mirror, but that came with consequences.

Even through the white sheets, she could feel it watching her.

 _Tschhh – Clink - Clink_

"Go away! You're not real!" Weiss clenched her eyes shut and pressed her forehead against the cool glass window. How she wished she could fly now, out the window and into the night sky. Or maybe not, maybe a short drop to the floor below. At times when the exhaustion and fear got to her, such thoughts became temping.

She never took the plunge.

 _School wasn't the freedom I thought it would be either. What happened today? I felt like my head was about to explode._ An image of the boy she'd bumped into flashed through her mind, but there was no reaction. He hadn't been handsome, certainly not. As tired as she by the look of things, pale skinned and dull-eyed.

Then again, _romantic interest_ hadn't been her reaction. More mind-numbing pain, anger and rage. Weiss groaned at the memory and ran a hand over the glass window.

When her eyes opened, she noticed the palm of her hand was bloody.

"Ah!"

She backed away in fright and looked down. No cuts adorned her palms, not the backs of her hand or fingers. Brushing it away, she inspected again but her hands were clean. The window was not. It was smeared with a bloody handprint where she'd touched it, almost like the window itself was bleeding.

"N-No, that's nonsense. I heard about this. Some compound."

The news report had been hazy and she'd barely paid attention. One thing she'd gathered was that it was taking place across the city, though she'd thought it was earlier in the day. Strange that it would start again now, on the very window she was pressed against.

Curiously, Weiss reached her hand out and ran a finger down a clean patch of glass.

Blood stained out from the digit.

Her finger hurt and she drew it back with a hiss. Another look showed she was unhurt, no cut or blood to speak of. "An allergy. It has to be. Irritated skin with whatever causes the fluid."

 _Tschhh – Clink - Clink_

Weiss' head snapped up. The sound was back, but with it a snuffling from outside. Ignoring the blood, she pushed against the window once more, reaching for a small knife with her other hand. There was a black shape in the gardens, distinctly animal-like and sniffing around the Bentley parked out front.

It was looking for her. She didn't doubt it for a second. Before long, it would find her scent and come to her window in search of prey, only to find her waiting, prepared. That was the usual way of things; what she had gotten used to. Only recently had it changed…

Weiss wondered if it might change again tonight.

There! By the wall. She saw it instantly, the shadow that detached, this time of human size and shape. It moved quickly, purposefully, animal-like itself and yet not. It covered the ground in a few seconds, aimed directly at the monster. Weiss bit her lip so hard it almost bled, straining to see more through the limited light.

The figure leapt upon the monster's back and bore it to the ground. There was a struggle, brief and violent, before the creature slumped and went still. Dead. Killed. Again, like the night before, the first time another person could see those beasts. Not only see them but fight them like she could.

Kill them.

The figure looked up. Through the dark, she could make out little, but the woman's eyes – and Weiss thought it was a woman – almost seemed to glow in the dark. A trick of the light no doubt. They were a burnt amber colour, glinting like cats' eyes.

 _Tschhh – Clink - Clink_

Weiss held her breath.

The figure raised a hand in greeting.

Tentatively, she returned it.

Contact. Of a sort. If this person could see and kill those monsters, then she must have known what they were, how to stop them. The possibilities ran wild in her mind and she wanted nothing more than to pull open the window and scream out her questions. She couldn't. The windows were all locked and the key was kept by the matron. They feared she might kill herself.

No. Her father feared the _scandal_ of her killing herself. It would look bad in the election race.

Desperate to pass on some kind of message, Weiss gestured with both hands towards the window and then her lips, shaking her head to tell the figure she couldn't speak or hear. She wasn't sure the message was received, but the figure drew something from their person and held it up toward the light from a nearby streetlight.

A small, white envelope.

With great care and obvious motion, the figure knelt and placed the envelope down by the tree she stood against, then drew a rock forth and placed it atop. Standing, the figure pointed first to Weiss and then to the spot where the envelope was hidden.

Weiss nodded quickly, desperately. She wanted to run out and find it now. Again, she couldn't. They wouldn't let her.

 _It will be there come morning. I can find it before school._

The figure swept away soon after, disappearing from sight though, Weiss suspected, not from the property entirely. A part of her knew she ought to be worried about a mysterious visitor stalking her, leaving messages for her, but she wasn't. Too much stress, too much fear. She'd been desensitised to the possibility of danger. All she knew was that this person knew more, and that she had to find out what was going on.

Before the winged creature caught her.

* * *

 **Incidents converge, Jaune is at the hospital and Blake has made first contact with Weiss. Meanwhile, a little more lore revealed and, importantly, some hints that not every Awakened hears the strange noises in their heads.**

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 **Next Chapter: 6** **th** **January**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	15. Chapter 15

**Noted the reviews on A &E being ER. My mistake; it has been changed last chapter to have the American term now. Thanks for letting me know.**

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 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 15**

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Jaune huddled inside the bathroom door and held his breath, eyes closed as footsteps hurried by, security responding to where they'd last been seen. His heart beat loudly in his ears and if it wasn't for Ruby holding him up, he might have fell to his knees. The people hurried by, and a moment later Yang pushed the door ajar slightly and peeked through.

"All clear." She pushed it the rest of the way. "Let's keep going."

"C'mon, Jaune," Ruby said kindly, pushing him ahead of her. She had to have seen his terror but chose not to mention it. "Nearly there. You can do it."

He could. Despite his raspy breath, it wasn't stamina or fitness that held him back, more the cloying fear that came from the thought of what might happen if they were caught. Running from Grimm was one thing; they didn't exist to normal people and so there were no consequences beyond them capturing him. If he was caught here the police would get involved, and then his parents. Somehow, despite the lack of claws, teeth and glowing eyes, the security at the hospital was far more threatening than any Grimm.

Ruby and Yang wouldn't let him falter, however. They pushed and pulled, kept him with them as they made their way down a flight of stairs and across to the west wing. Being on the first floor, they occasionally ran into other people. Doctors, nurses and the odd patient. Each was an exercise in restrained panic, them slowing to a walk and hoping that whoever they were walking past wouldn't ask any questions.

The patients never did, too focused on their own problems or needing a toilet. Besides, wherever patients wandered freely, they didn't look suspicious. It was the hospital staff which were worse, since there was never any telling if they were only _pretending_ not to notice the three of them were out of place or if they really were busy.

"Security wouldn't have alerted everyone," Yang hissed, "Stop looking so afraid; you're giving us away."

"What Yang means is that most of these doctors are just working," Ruby said. "It's security's job to find us, not theirs." Her words were said softly, kindly, but didn't do as much for his nerves as either of them would have liked. With a shake of her head, she gave up and nodded to an intersection ahead. "Which way?" she asked.

Jaune looked to the signs above and tried to remember the layout. It wasn't overly difficult; the wards being clearly labelled. "Left."

The double-opening doors led into a long, square corridor with a pale green floor of some shiny, hygienic non-slip surface and walls of neutral colours of cream and beige. It was well lit, even at so late an hour, with tube ceiling lights and the occasional neon sign with ward numbers or signs on it, the words written underneath. Brown, wooden doors stood on either side, each leading to another corridor that would in turn lead to a set of medical wards, each room fit with six to eight beds, storage cabinets for medicine and offices and amenities for the staff treating them. Due to the dangers of blood disease and other infections, there were also a raft of isolated ward rooms for those either contagious or too immune deficient to be placed with other patients.

"What are we looking at?" Yang asked.

"H-Haematology wards," he replied, scanning the corridor wildly for any security guards. "It's mostly for blood diseases, though they can do bone marrow transplants and such."

"Blood diseases?" Ruby asked, "Like Leukaemia?"

"Yeah. And sepsis, lymphoma, myeloma, iron deficiency…" Jaune trailed off as he realised neither of them were really interested in the specifics. "Dangerous conditions that involve blood mainly. A lot of the people here will have weak immune systems, so they need to be kept away from patients in the other wards. Sometimes even other patients here."

Yang tutted. "Any risk of _us_ causing them problems?"

"We might. We're not exactly sanitised."

"We'll stay away from the wards," Ruby said. "It'll be up to you to guide us, Jaune. We just need the haema-guy's office."

"It's close. According to the files it's-"

Yang suddenly placed an arm over his chest and dragged him back, Ruby following as they hustled into an entrance alcove that would lead through to one of the wards. It was indented into the wall, taking them out of sight of the corridor.

"Security," Yang hissed, both in explanation and frustration. "They must have figured out where we were headed from the pathology room. Or it's just pure bad luck."

Ruby thumbed her weapon, much to Jaune's panic. "How many?"

"At least eight. Probably ten. Too many to deal with, especially when they'll call for help. Jaune, how much security does the hospital have?"

"I-I don't know," he whispered. "That was never something they told me."

"Rough guess?"

"I can't. I've _literally_ no idea."

"Right." Yang didn't sound upset at him for once, but she did huff. "Guess it can't be helped." She let out a quick breath. "Ruby, you know what to do. You're almost there anyway. I'll draw them off and buy you time. Make it count."

"What!?" Jaune hissed.

"Okay," Ruby nodded, not nearly as worried as he. "We shouldn't take long. Run if you have to. Don't worry about us."

"Heh. It's my job to worry about you. Dad would never forgive me if I didn't." To him, Yang offered a quick nod and a pat on the arm. A moment later, she was gone, jogging around the corner as if already in mid-sprint. She skidded to a stop a few seconds later, loudly shouting, "Shit!" and running back the way they'd come.

"There!" someone shouted. "Get her!"

"Stop! Oi, you!"

Ruby pushed a hand over his chest and held him back against the wall, a wall whose only cover disappeared entirely as the guards ran past their position. If even one glanced to their right, they'd see them, trapped between a locked door and a group of large and scary security guards. He shivered lightly and closed his eyes, counting to ten in his head in an effort to stay calm.

The group ran past, one shouting into a walkie-talkie of some kind as they did. Once the footsteps were a little distant, the sounds of doors slamming open and shut receding, Ruby released him and peeked out into the hallway.

"It's clear."

"Will Yang-?"

"She'll be fine." Ruby smiled for his benefit and dragged him out. "Trust me, she's done this before."

"Run from hospital security?"

"Not the hospital part, but police and other things."

"You're not even pretending this is unusual…"

Ruby smiled sadly as they hurried down the corridor, checking the ward signs to find the one the office promised to be incorporated into. "I'd like to say it is, but it isn't. We don't _like_ breaking the law, but sometimes we have to. Being chased by the police isn't exactly common, but I think it happens to every hunter at least once."

"Hopefully not me…"

"Maybe this will be your first and only time."

He knew she was trying to cheer him up, but it wasn't working. "Let's just get this over with. I'll feel better when I'm not about to be dragged before the police. My parents would kill me." Not to mention the more literal problem of him being killed by the Grimm in a prison cell where he couldn't run away.

"Must be nice…"

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing." Ruby looked away. "2-C. Is this it?"

"2-B," he replied from memory. "Must be the next along."

"Great!" Ruby sprinted the distance to the next alcove set into the beige walls and pulled at the wooden door there, cursing when it didn't open. "It's locked!"

"Yeah, blood disease and low immune systems, remember? They don't want any old member of the public wandering in here by accident." He pointed to the mechanical keypad with a speaker underneath and a call button. "Looks like a code lock."

"Ugh. I'm not good with electronics. You?"

Jaune winced. "Do I look like some elite hacker?"

"Guess not." Ruby shifted her weapon into his arms. "Hold this for me."

"What are-"

"Shh. Keep an eye out." Ruby knelt by the door and placed her hands on the wood. "Warn me if anyone is coming."

He did as asked, wondering what she was doing. Lock-picking the door? Trying to short-circuit the lock? She might even have been unscrewing the hinges for all he knew, but he kept his attention focused outward, listening for the tell-tale sound of footsteps on the hard floor. There was nothing, nothing but the occasional beep-beep of machinery, a muffled cough from a ward and the distant moaning of someone in pain.

 _Drip – Drip_

The sound in his head was louder, a slow and steady _plop_ of water falling from a leaky faucet to splash below. Jaune turned, knowing who it was even as Ruby stood once more.

"Got it."

The lock hadn't been touched. It was still shiny, metallic and working as intended. The same could not be said for the wood around it. It had rotten away, turned dark and become brittle and worn in places. Ruby pushed her fingers through and peeled it back from the lock like one might the top of a can of beans. It splintered and split, crackling and falling as dust below, exposing the lock itself, which she drew out easily – removing it from the door and the wall in one go. Ruby placed it on the ground and gave the door an experimental push. It opened easily.

"What did-"

"We don't have time for me to explain." Ruby smiled weakly. "Or you don't have the time. Where would the office be?"

"S-Somewhere in here. It should be marked."

"Show me."

He wanted to ask more, to ask what she'd done, but the reality of the situation didn't allow it. Yang was buying them time to get in and out, not to talk about things like this. "Alright." He nodded and moved in, shimmying past an open door but breathing a sigh of relief when there was no one inside. The ward looked empty, reasonable considering the late hour. There might be a few staff on the night-shift, but they'd be covering numerous wards, responding to calls for aid where required and administering treatment on schedule.

"What are you going to do to the haematologist?" Jaune asked as they made their way inside, him checking the symbols on each door. "If he's here working on it, I mean."

"I'll probably have to question him, see how much he's learned. If he's Awakened, I can explain."

"If not?"

"I'll knock him out."

He winced. "You sure you can?"

"I may be small, but I've been doing this for almost three years now. I can cut Grimm in two."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to suggest anything." At the end of the day, Ruby was stronger than he was. "Do I… Do I need to be there for that?"

Ruby relented, smiling. "Nah, I'll be fine. You can wait outside and keep watch. I'll handle everything. I'm the best one to destroy the blood anyway."

"The same way you damaged the door?"

"Yep."

That sounded positive, since they wouldn't have to waste more time dealing with it or carrying it out. It sounded like the worst part of their job was done, all that remained for Ruby to deal with the blood and for them to escape. They were on the first floor, so jumping out the window wasn't an option, but there were numerous fire escapes they could take, and the ground floor was open for most visitors. They'd be able to vanish in the crowd by the ER and escape.

Jaune came to a stop outside a thick, wooden door with a sign on the front. A Doctor J. Monroe. "This is it," he whispered to Ruby. "You going to…?"

She nodded. "Find somewhere to wait out here. Don't worry. I'll be fine."

"What if someone comes?"

"Hide first," she suggested. "If they try and come in, shout out a warning. I'll be fast enough to deal with them." Ruby patted his arm and smiled. "Don't worry. We're as good as done now. You can leave the rest to me."

Ruby pulled the office door open and stepped inside, closing it behind her. He heard a scrape of a chair and "Who are-" before it was silenced by a muffled crash. The silence left behind was oppressive, and Jaune, stood outside, wasn't sure what to do with it.

Fidgeting slightly, he made his way back into the hall connecting the ward to the central corridor, just far enough away from the office so as to not hear anything going on inside. He found a spot in a small alcove, little more than a cloak room, and sat by the back wall. There were no security cameras inside, giving him a chance to think. He rested his hands over his knees, which he drew up. His head fell back against the wall.

God, he never thought he'd do something like this. Just a week ago, he'd been a bullied but determined student doing his best to ignore Cardin and his friends. Now, he was breaking into a hospital to destroy some kind of monster blood before its influence spread over the city and caused the apocalypse. Worst, he was _still_ being bullied. Trust Cardin and his merry band of idiots not to get the memo.

Hunters, Grimm, Awakened… It was all of it mad. A madness that sometimes left him wondering if he hadn't gone insane himself, if he hadn't imagined up Ruby, Blake and all the other little aspects of his life now. That was too much to ask for. The dreams felt too real, the consequences too immediate. Even now, he felt the lingering claws of sleep calling to him, seducing him. He bit his lip and let the pain keep him awake, wash away the exhaustion.

Let Ruby destroy the blood, get out, go back to the Beacon, wait until morning, go home.

The five-point plan gave him something to focus on, even if `sleep` didn't factor into it anywhere. Maybe Blake could be convinced to watch over him again. Even an hour or two nap would be enough.

 _Drip – Drip_

Ruby…?

A soft, snuffling noise reached his ears. Like breathing, except staggered, uneven. It rose and fell at an unnatural pitch. An inhuman growl sounded from a large and cavernous throat.

Shit!

Jaune looked around wildly for somewhere to hide. He'd trapped himself in a small cloak room, nothing more than one or two coats hanging from hooks, one of brown tweed and the other a woman's cardigan. There were no other ways out but for the main doorway, which he could see a dark shadow forming outside of.

 _Fuck, fuck, fuck. Ruby has to have heard this, surely._ Unless she was focused on her task or still interrogating the doctor. And he'd moved away purposefully out of hearing range of that. What an idiot.

He couldn't stay where he was. A quick look inside would reveal him. Limbs heavy with fear, he scrabbled forward and pressed himself against the side of the doorway, back against the wall and standing ramrod straight.

The padding feet came to a stop outside his room, in the doorway that Ruby had unnaturally broken down. Its heavy breathing paused for a moment and then came closer. He heard it stoop, claws _tap-tapping_ on the hard floor.

Jaune's breath came out in short gasps, despite his best effort to control it.

"Hnf…" The beast stopped. It snorted, sniffed heavily, growled to itself.

It had heard him. Shit. He clamped a hand over his mouth and nose, pinching his nose shut between thumb and the side of his forefinger. He counted to ten, slowly at first and then quickly. _Move on,_ he begged inside his head. _Go away._

The beast padded further in. Its claps gripped the open doorway, curling around the edge as it pulled itself forward. Suddenly, its head pushed into the room – making Jaune's heart stop there and then. Dark, black skin that pulsed with lines of white and red. Bony plates that defied all logic or evolutionary design encased its head. It was like a bear, if someone had taken a bar, dipped it in tar and then strapped ceramic plates across it for good measure. Spiny protrusions reached out from its neck, daring anyone to try and take hold.

Somehow, it didn't take him in its mouth, drag him out and kill him. Instead, it snorted and snuffled, looking left and right, its ear so close to his elbow that he felt it almost _must_ have felt him. It hadn't, though. Its forward-facing vision saw ahead, likely in a cone of sorts. With him to the side and behind its ear, it hadn't noticed him.

Still, as it snorted and drew in his scent, he felt his body begin to shake, lack of air taking its toll. His lungs burned, desperate to take a large, _loud_ , gulp of air. His eyes clenched shut as his head began to shake. Please. Please go.

 _Drip – Drip_

"Uff!" The bear-like monster jerked suddenly, its head moving up so quickly that it might have knocked itself out on the door's top if not for the plated armour. It withdrew its head with a frantic, almost excited growl and moved away quickly, deeper into the haematology ward.

Slumping to the floor, Jaune heaved for air, one hand on the floor, the other on his wildly beating heart. Holy shit. That had been too close. His legs felt like jelly. It must have been distracted, likely by Ruby. For a second, he worried for her safety, then dismissed it. She was more than capable of dealing with a single Grimm.

On the other hand, he _had_ promised to warn her if something came in. And if she was taken by surprise and hurt, or worse, killed…

Damn it!

Crawling out of the cloak room was the hardest thing he'd ever done. Slowly, he poked his head out, spying the dark shape making its way down the corridor. He waited, prepared to duck back into hiding if it made any motion to turn around. When it didn't, he dared to creep out a little further, always with one hand on the wall, mostly to keep his balance with his legs threatening to give way.

The plan was simple. Wait until it was trying to enter the office, shout a warning, let Ruby deal with it while it was distracted, and then job done. He wasn't a fighter, but she was. He'd do his part, she would do hers and they'd both come out of this in one piece.

He tensed when it reached the office Ruby was in, only to deflate when it moved past, not even sparing a glance or a sniff in its direction. The beast kept going, on toward a T-junction at the end of the hall, where the hall they were in split off along a set of medical wards. Each was a wall mostly plastic but with a window looking in, set with doors to the side. The beast paused at them and sniffed the air. It looked more confused than anything.

 _Grimm exist even without Awakened nearby,_ he realised, hiding once more in a door frame. He kept his body in, his head out, ready to pull back if it looked his way. _That means this one might not actually be looking for us. It's just wandering around._ Without an Awakened to attack, it was harmless. The doctors and patients wouldn't even be able to see it, let alone be hurt by it. _As long as I stay hidden there's no danger._

 _Drip – Drip_

The Grimm's head perked up. Without a care for the wall and window in front of it, it moved forward, phasing through both as if they didn't exist. It entered one of the wards.

Frantic, muffled cries came from within. Cries of fear muted by weakness or just the walls themselves. A light above the door began to flash blue, indicating that the person inside had hit his panic alarm.

There was an Awakened in the room.

An injured, potentially very sick Awakened. A helpless Awakened. Oh God, the Grimm was going to kill someone. "Ruby!" he shouted. "Ruby, help!"

No response. Busy, distracted or unable to hear him, Ruby was still in the haematologist's office while the shadow of the Grimm in the ward was approaching the lone person laid out in a bed surrounded by a plastic curtain. Jaune hurried up to the glass, wide eyed as he watched the figure in the bed try to thrash around. He was tied down, both by the tubes and medical instruments attached to his body, but also bindings that kept him in the bed so as to not jostle or knock his numerous casts.

The Awakened didn't stand a chance. He or she could barely move.

"Ruby! Ruby, please!" he shouted, louder this time, uncaring for who might hear. Guards he could deal with, being arrested was suddenly okay, but he couldn't handle the thought of _watching_ a person be torn to shreds in front of him. "RUBY!"

Ruby wasn't coming.

The person was going to die.

Unless _he_ did something…

 _I'm not a hunter. I can't fight that, I'll be killed!_ One person dying was a tragedy. Two people dying was a bigger tragedy. There was _nothing_ to gain here. He couldn't beat that thing; it was even bigger than the wolf like creature that had tried to kill him before.

"SOMEONE HELP ME!" the man inside the room screamed.

Jaune clenched his eyes shut and his teeth together. His jaw ached. His blood pounded.

"Fuck!" he suddenly shouted, slamming a shoulder into the door. It smashed open. The Grimm turned at the noise, growing angrily, like a beast warning something away from its food. Jaune stood before it, wide-eyed and breathing harshly. "S-Stop!" he stammered. "G-Get away from him!"

Weapon. A weapon. There had to be something he could use, and yet there wasn't. This was a hospital ward. No one was going to keep something even _remotely_ viable as a weapon in a hospital ward. They were literally made to be the exact opposite. There was a table, a trolley with medicine and some bottles of water on. A plastic bowl, some towels, a locked cabinet, a water cooler, an overhead television screen, a chair…

The Grimm lunged for him, sweeping one of its large, barrel arms towards his head. Screaming, Jaune dove low and rolled under, scrambling for the only thing he could think to use, the plastic and metal-legged chair over to one side. Gripping it by the backrest, he held the four legs up towards the beast like a terrified lion tamer.

"Hyah!" he yelled. "Back! Get back!"

A clawed arm swept into the chair, shattering it into two and sending it flying against the wall. Jaune was knocked with it – not into the wall, but off his feet, staggering to the side as the chair was wrenched from his hands. It left him open and the Grimm brought its mighty arm back, striking him in the stomach. It was only the fact Jaune had staggered forward that saved him, since instead of the claws disembowelling him, he was hit by the Grimm's bony wrists instead.

They still drove the air and spit from his body. He was lifted up off his feet and sent crashing to the side, toppling over the watercooler and landing on the other side in a pool of ice-cold water. The cooler continued to spit water out, covering the floor. Jaune groaned and tried to move. He didn't think anything was broken, but the air had been driven from him. He could barely breathe, let alone stand.

The Grimm looked his way and snorted. It made to finish him but paused when the man behind him – still in the bed – started to rant and rave about monsters. His loud and fevered cries caught the beast's attention more than the quiet and heaving boy on the floor. It turned back to the bed, growling in what might have been pleasure or hunger.

"N-No," Jaune grunted, reaching out a hand. "No."

Even now, even when he _tried_ to fight, he couldn't. Couldn't help anyone, couldn't save anyone. Just like… Just like the last time. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes. So weak. So _fucking_ weak. He couldn't do anything right.

 _Drip – Drip_

" _Prey is all you'll ever be."_

 _Drip - Splash_

His eyes burned. "I'M NOT PREY!"

Glass shattered above and behind him, throwing water out into the room. The shards rained down around him, but he paid no attention, stabbing a hand out toward the Grimm's back instead. The monster was paying no attention, its back to him, but it slipped suddenly on the wet floor – flying back as if something had _torn_ its legs out from under it and backwards. It landed hard, smashing its snout into the floor.

Suddenly, it began to slide back, as if dragged. Its clawed hands poured at the floor to little avail. Slow at first, and then quickly, it was drawn across the water's surface, snarling the entire time. It began to slide on its front, but turned onto its back, eyes focused on Jaune once more as it brought its claws forward.

The monster being dragged _to_ him suddenly didn't seem so great.

"Oh shit!"

It reared up and lunged, struggling with the water under it but too strong to give up entirely. The pipes behind him twisted and groaned, bursting spontaneously as water streamed out and into the creature. Its flesh hissed and burned, but it came on, bringing a claw down towards Jaune's head.

A mighty crash and a red pole interrupted it as a huge, bladed implement came _crashing_ through the window beside it. The haft caught its downward claw, blocking it. The blade caught the Grimm's throat, impaling it.

The monster froze, shocked. As shocked as Jaune was.

And then it slumped, practically suspended on the scythe. With a grunt, Ruby dragged it back, leveraging the huge weapon through the window until the Grimm fell backwards and not on top of Jaune. She let go of the weapon, allowing the monster to slump down, dead. As she rushed in the door, Ruby paused to place a foot on the Grimm's head and wrench the blade free, quickly storing it behind her and running the rest of the way to him.

"Jaune! Are you okay?"

"D-Define o-okay…" Adrenaline flooded out his body, leaving him a shaking, quivering wreck. He still had the presence of mind to say, "Thank you. Thank you so fucking much."

Ruby grinned. "Glad to help. The blood is destroyed. The doctor wasn't able to find anything." Ruby looked to the patient in the bed, who had long since fainted. "What happened here?"

"H-He's Awakened." Despite the immediate danger being over, he still couldn't stand, too spent emotionally to do anything but lean back against the wall and take some small comfort in the water that trickled down his body. "The Grimm went for him."

"And you stopped it?" Ruby sounded amazed.

"I… No. You killed it. I couldn't do anything."

"You distracted it. Held it back. You stopped it killing him."

"I nearly died."

"But you didn't. You lived. Survived." Ruby looked like she wanted to say more but seeing the haunted look in his eyes chose not to. "I'll tell Ozpin about this guy. We'll send someone as a fake visitor tomorrow to explain things and keep him safe. We can't do anything else tonight, but he'll probably be okay. Can you stand?"

No. Not at all. He wanted to stay where he was, safe and sound on the floor where it felt easy, where it felt comfortable and nice and where he didn't have to worry about Grimm, Leviathan or the myriad other things that wanted him dead or consumed.

But he didn't have a choice.

The time for that had passed.

"Yeah." He knelt, stumbled and then dragged himself up with one hand on the wall behind him. "Yeah, I can stand. I'm… I'm fine."

/-/

Escaping the hospital was somehow easier than getting in, even with the guards alerted. Perhaps they'd been too busy chasing Yang or responding to the emergency in the haematology ward. Maybe Doctor Monroe had woken up and sounded the alarm. Whatever the case, no one challenged them as they walked out and the doctors who did come across them sprinted past, running deeper into the hospital to answer the alarms that had been set off by the violence.

They wouldn't see the Grimm that lay dead on the floor. They wouldn't feel its body, smell its blood or trip over its corpse. They'd run through it, past it, and to them it wouldn't exist. They wouldn't have to face the reality of its existence and what that reality meant for their puny little lives.

They wouldn't, because he had. He and Ruby and all the fucking hunters out there.

Jaune was sick to his stomach.

Yang met them outside, hooded, suspicious and playing with her cell. She must have been chased out or escaped at some point. She was grimy and obviously exhausted. He tried not to notice the blood on her fists, indication that someone had caught her and paid for it. They'd just be knocked out. Some poor bastard who didn't deserve it, but whom couldn't be allowed to capture her, not when so much rode on this working out.

"Is the blood gone?" she asked.

"I destroyed every last bit," Ruby said. "Even the samples he was looking over. I even got rid of his computer and documents, just in case."

"Nice work. Guess that'll keep the world turning a little longer."

"Jaune fought a Grimm. Helped someone, an Awakened."

"He did?" Yang looked his way and Jaune shrivelled up a little trying to hide himself in his own shoulders. Yang paid no attention and slapped a hand against his arm. "Good job. I guess this is when the boy becomes the man, huh?"

"I don't feel like a man. I feel like a criminal."

"Because that's what we are, shit as it is to admit it. Don't try and throw out that hoodie; that's how the police really find you. Just bundle it up and hide it in the back of your wardrobe. If they're knocking down your door to root through your stuff, it's already too late. Don't make yourself more suspicious by acting like you've got something to hide."

He picked at it but didn't try and remove it. They were still too close to the hospital. They must have been seen a hundred times over CCTV, though. He knew the next morning would involve news reports and their images across every media outlet in Vale and beyond. It might even reach Boston. The not knowing was what hurt the most, the constant fear that one of those might be a clear shot of his face, despite his best efforts to keep his head down.

Tomorrow morning, his life might be in tatters, and he had no way of knowing. All he could do was wait.

"Whatever you think we did, remember that we saved lives," Ruby said, touching his elbow. "It's not fair to those people we ran into or hurt, but if the truth got out, it would mean hundreds of thousands of people Awakening. Families torn apart, children screaming, the military driven mad. It would be anarchy."

"It would be the end of the world," Yang added.

"I… I know." He looked down. "I know, Ruby. It had to be done."

"And you did it," Yang said, nudging him with one shoulder. "Now come on. I know what you need; hot food, a comfortable seat and enough drink to make you forget this shit ever happened. I think that after tonight, Oz owes us all three."

"That…" Jaune laughed hysterically. "That sounds amazing."

"Knew you'd come around. Come on, sis, you get his other arm. First time's always a bitch and his legs are about to give out. Don't worry; we're not walking. I called an old friend to give us a lift. Should be here any minute now."

Spent and thoroughly exhausted, Jaune let the two girls support him.

/-/

Her first job was done, but the night was still young. The girl would find the message tomorrow and from there, things would work their way out as they needed to. Now, Blake had other responsibilities to take care of. A bargain to be repaid.

The scent of ash, smoke and flame was weak, but her nose picked it apart from the more mundane scenes of the chemical world. Asphalt, gasoline, horribly acidic perfumes and aftershaves. This world, for all its amusements, certainly was putrid at times. All the scents might not have been horrible on their own but meshed together led to some terrible concoction. It burned at her delicate nose.

Above it, however, she could just about make out the scent she was looking for.

"You're not afraid, are you?" Blake sniffed again and took a left, stalking past two guys who cat-called in her direction and made some lewd suggestions. They wished to mate with her? She idly considered luring them into an alleyway and eviscerating them but discarded it a moment later. Too much work, too much bother. The small amount of pleasure she'd gain would be eclipsed by the drama caused by the police, and she doubted they would even prove capable of surviving long enough to impress her.

A shame, but such was life living so close to the hunters. Other Grimm weren't quite so bad for sating her destructive tendencies. A shame there weren't many trees she could grind her claws down, but this pathetic form didn't have the nails for it. She'd tried with a carpet once, only to discover how frail humans were. Who could imagine a nail snapping so easily, or it hurting quite so much?

Humans used tools. Blake had learned to use a few, as much as it galled her. A knife here, a cleaver there. She liked the cooking ones herself as those were just a little sturdier, a little better for her purposes. Also, no one seemed to bat an eyelid at her purchasing them. One woman had even said she would make a wonderful wife.

Odd. Perhaps the woman had thought of killing her own husband. Hard to say.

The smell of smoke increased, gaining a burning edge to it. Blake followed, crossing a road once the way was clear and strolling past someone walking their dog. She paid no attention, but the small animal barked furiously at her, growling and snapping as it placed itself in front of its master, protecting them. The woman apologised profusely and pulled it away.

Eventually, Blake's nose brought her to a large and open expanse, an iron-grilled fence that ran around a large premises with a building in the centre. She recognised it easily, its name hardly being a secret, especially not with the sign out front. Eastfield High. How ironic.

"An old scent?" Another sniff. "No. Fresh. So, you're still here. Or coming back."

There were some lights on inside the school, dimly lit but still out of place at so late an hour. Blake considered them for a moment before she shrugged and walked away. Her part of the agreement was to help and to locate, not to deal with a rival who had yet to encroach on her territory.

Jaune would be pleased if nothing else, assuming he'd managed to survive the night.

Only tomorrow would tell.

* * *

 **Jaune fights for the first time, Blake is out scouting, and they've managed to deal with Weiss' blood tantrum for now, albeit at the cost of setting themselves up as wanted criminals. Thanks to all for pointing out the ER mistake last chapter.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 13** **th** **January**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	16. Chapter 16

**Here's the chapter**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 16**

* * *

" _-violent youths targeted the hospital, causing thousands of dollars in damaged equipment and lost man hours, endangering lives and injuring hospital personnel. No names have been released at this time, but the following image has been provided. If you have any information, contact us or your local police station on the non-emergency numbers provided."_

The screen flickered past the morning news presenter's face to show a grainy image of three hooded figures, their faces concealed and little skin showing. They were hunched over a desk in the pathology room, looking through documents. Crushing relief came over him as he leaned back. There was no way anyone would figure that was him.

The outfit he'd worn was now stashed away in the back of his cupboard, buried under as much other clothing, old shoes and unused boxes as he could manage. Even so, it felt like a burning hole in his small apartment, calling out to him. He wanted to throw it away or burn it, but Yang said that was exactly how he'd be caught. Mrs Mars would notice him burning clothing, while discarded clothing might be tracked back to him.

Ozpin had been pleased with the outcome of their mission at any rate. Once they'd been driven safely back to Beacon, he'd welcomed them and provided as much hot food and drink as they could handle. Yang and Ruby were used to it and shrugged off the after-action nerves, but he wasn't. He'd shivered and shook, weathered Ruby's compliments on him fighting that Grimm in uncomfortable silence and smiled weakly back whenever she said she could train him to fight better.

Velvet, bless her, had come to his rescue, saying that Oscar had cut his finger in the kitchen. He hadn't, of course, but a chance to sit down in peace was welcome. It wasn't that he regretted fighting the Grimm - of course he didn't, he'd saved that guy's life – it was that he knew they'd expect more from him now. Velvet didn't. She'd thanked him, pushed some hot alcoholic beverage into his hands and talked about her and Oscar's childhood until the sheer mundanity of it all calmed him down.

Now with the sun having risen, he was back in his apartment, mulling over the night as he'd waited for the morning news and the revelation of just how ruined his life was. Not much, it turned out. _Makes you wonder what use CCTV is if everyone doing a crime can wear a hoodie to fool it._ Frayed nerves and hysteria had him laughing at the poor joke. It helped a little.

A soft but insistent tapping at the window interrupted his thoughts. The curtains were drawn but he could make out the shape behind them, a shadowy figure. Considering the only way to safely reach the balcony was to climb across his neighbours' ones, he knew who it was.

Blake came through once he'd unlatched the balcony door. She looked tired, though not nearly as exhausted as he. As always, she was uninjured, despite her night out killing Grimm. She opened her mouth to speak, then paused and sniffed the air.

"You've slept?"

"No…?"

"You smell of salt water." Another sniff. "Salt water, bleach, medical supplies and fur. You were one of those at the hospital?"

It didn't surprise him she figured out all that from his scent alone, though it did have him raising one arm to sniff at his armpit. He didn't _smell_ unusual. More of a Grimm nose kind of thing.

"I was there with two hunters. Some of the blood coming out the windows was collected…"

"Hm. You destroyed it?"

He nodded.

"Good. It should not happen again, I'm taking steps to make sure."

"You know what did this?"

"I have my suspicions." Blake stepped past him and pushed up so that she was sat on his kitchen counter, legs dangling over the edge. "Nothing you should worry about. I'll do what I must to prevent the boundary shattering."

"You know, I'm still confused as to why you're helping me…"

"In your case, self-preservation. If the Leviathan takes over your body, I'll either be pushed out of my territory or killed. Make no mistake, if this were some other Grimm then I wouldn't be here. As for protecting the boundary… if I were trapped on the other side trying to get in, I'd be fine with this outcome. But already being on this side, it's different. I already have what I want. No need to let others come through and ruin things."

"Self-serving interests, then?"

"You sound disappointed. What other interests are there? Were my mate here, I might work in his interests also, but he's not."

A part of him thought he should convince her there were other things in life, but he had no idea how to start or if she would even care. At the end of the day, she was only on their side because she'd already won. The original owner of her body was dead and now she had a place in both worlds. Considering she was willing to help protect what she'd cruelly taken, it would be idiocy for him to throw away an ally for his own morals.

"Whatever. Did you have any luck with Rebecca?"

Blake grinned. "Actually, I did."

"What?" Jaune took a step towards her, eyes wide. "Why didn't you say so? Where is she!?"

"Right where you met her last."

"Eastfield…? She can't be. She's still reported as missing."

"Not during the daytime, no. She returns at night; the scent was thick enough to make that clear. I believe she is waiting for you to return, placing herself in the only location you might know to find her."

"She wants to continue the ritual…"

"Most likely." Blake shrugged, far too unconcerned with the threat to his life. "I would not concern yourself with her today. Her powers will be weakened and, being in a human body, she needs to sleep. You won't find her there during the school hours, though I'd still refrain from exploring any dark corners if I were you."

"Thanks for the advice. About Rebecca…?"

"Tell your hunter friends," Blake said. "Gather them and attack in force. You and I going alone would be fruitless as I'd be the only one capable of fighting. Or…" she sniffed the air and looked at Jaune curiously. "Hm, maybe not. I can smell something new. You faced a Grimm?"

"Not entirely by choice…"

"And yet you live. Interesting."

Jaune shrugged, feeling somewhat uncomfortable with her yellow eyes fixed on him. It felt too much like a predator reassessing something before her. "When I fought the Grimm something… strange happened. I made it trip on water and caused several jars to explode behind me. Considering it was all water based…"

"Leviathan," Blake answered. "It's likely a sign of how close the two of you have become. Not necessarily a good thing for you. As he closes in, some of his influence might begin to manifest."

"Can't he be reasoned with?"

"Hah." Blake snorted. "Reasoning is for when you are dealing with an equal that has something you desire. Leviathan does not consider you such, and it's unlikely you would willingly give over your body. It would be as a rabbit trying to reason with a fox. Focus instead on reversing the effects of his mate's ritual on you. If the Leviathan cannot find you, you will be safe."

/-/

"You look-"

"Like shit," Jaune replied, turning away from his locker. "I know. Is this going to be a recurring thing?"

Ren crossed his arms and raised one eyebrow in that expressive manner of his, saying more with the action than he ever could with words. Not that he let that stop him. "I don't know. Is you always looking like death warmed over going to be a recurring thing?"

"It's a fashion choice."

"Sure. Did you hear the news this morning?"

Jaune stilled, but quickly recognising Ren's tone as curious more than incriminating, nodded. Thankfully, the hallways were fairly busy, and no one was paying attention to the two of them. Most people at Eastfield probably didn't care about the news at all. "Yeah. Something about people breaking into the hospital. Did it say what they wanted? Sounded to me like it was random."

"That's what I caught as well. Maybe they were looking for drugs."

"Maybe."

"What were you doing last night?" Ren asked.

"Oh. I was hanging out with some friends."

"You have friends?" Ren asked. After he received an aggrieved look, he added, "Other than me and Nora, I meant."

"It's a new development."

"Sounds like it." Stepping up, Ren opened his own locker – two along from Jaune's – and started to put some books inside. "I had to deal with Nora calling late at night to talk. Not exactly the best I could have hoped for."

"Since when has that been a problem?" Jaune asked, aware that Nora called Ren almost every night. It wasn't unusual for him to get a few texts and the odd call, too.

"My parents overheard her."

He winced. "Ah."

" _Ah_ is right," Ren said, shaking his head. "I'd let them think we weren't talking anymore, but I immediately got the usual `girls will distract you from excelling` speech, followed by an hour of trying to convince my mother not to go out, find Nora and give her a stern talking to. All the while Nora was calling back, trying to figure out why I hung up on her." Ren closed the locker door with a tad more force than was necessary, the most irritation he'd ever show. "Made for an interesting night."

"Sounds like it. Your parents…"

"They're ridiculously strict, I know. They didn't grow up in America, so they're still getting used to it."

"Yeah. Just a shame you have to bear the brunt of it."

Ren shrugged. "It could be worse, I suppose. Let's just say there'll be less sneaking out to spend time with you and Nora for the coming weekends. Or rather, you're fine, but my parents will be chaperoning me to make sure no `loose western woman` tries to have her way with me."

Jaune tried not to snort, he really did, but it was a doomed effort. He'd spent the night risking his life and safety breaking into a hospital, while Ren had to deal with Nora's affection and his over-protective parents. And yet somehow it _still_ somehow felt like Ren got the short end of the stick.

Further down the corridor, a locker banged shut loudly, the owner not having a care in the world, or rather too exhausted to care. Yang had her usual posse around her chatting away, though she paid little attention to what was said and didn't speak at all. Knowing what they'd been up to last night, he didn't blame her for feeling exhausted. At least he'd gotten an hour or two's sleep when Blake helped him.

"Hang on a sec," he whispered to Ren. "I'll be right back."

"What? Jaune, what are-"

Waving his friend off, Jaune hurried over to Yang before she could vanish. There was a certain degree of empty space around her honoured by the less popular elements of Eastfield. It didn't help that Yang had a fearsome reputation thanks to her sharp temper and blunt words, all no doubt because she slept through the day for all intents and purposes. He'd be angry, too, if people kept trying to wake him up. Yang's friends saw him coming and one or two narrowed their eyes, but knowing he'd been accepted in before, didn't try to stop him.

"Yang. Hey, Yang."

Yang grunted, recognising his voice. "What do you want, Jaune?"

"I need a favour. Won't take a second." When Yang didn't immediately shut him down, he looked around at her friends. "Can we talk alone? It's personal." _Hunter business,_ his eyes said.

"Ugh." Yang ran a hand over her face and stifled a yawn but nodded along. "You lot heard him. Give us some space."

"Yang, seriously…" a girl began.

"You make space, or _I'll_ make space."

"R-Right. We'll leave you to it." The girl and her fellows walked away muttering to themselves. One or two shot him confused expressions, while one of the guys, a handsome and tall jock, looked at Jaune with unrestrained fury. For once, it didn't bother him. Hard to let it with all the problems he had going on. One guy disliking him felt so trivial.

"There," Yang said. "You got your moment. Got to say this isn't a good idea, though. Tell me you're not about to bring up last night."

"No, no. I'm not that stupid."

"Debateable but go on."

"I need Ruby and Ozpin's numbers," he said. When Yang raised an eyebrow, he quickly explained, "I've found where the woman who tried to kill me is hiding, the one who was possessed by the Grimm. Ozpin said I should let him know when I did, and since Ruby fought her the last time…"

"Right. She'll want to be involved, which I guess means _I'm_ involved, too. At least tell me you know where she is at night. I need some sleep…"

"It's night, yeah."

"Cool." Yang pulled out her phone and held it out to him, holding her other hand out at the same time. "Exchange numbers. Easier for me to text you theirs. Keep me in on anything you send. I don't want Ruby rushing off on her own."

"That's fine," Jaune said happily, accepting her cell. It was a newer model than his and had a few stickers of boy bands and the like across it, not what he'd have expected from Yang. She'd already entered the passcode, and the image inside was of a much younger Yang with an older man and woman, a small baby between them. It must have been her family, which would make the baby Ruby.

Knowing she'd not want him to ask, he pushed past it and entered his number into her contacts list, adding his name along with it. At the same time, Yang thumbed her own into his, still fighting back a yawn but at least willing to help. It was more than he'd expected.

"Done," she said, trading his phone back. "I'll send you their numbers when I get a moment. Before lunch at any rate. If Cardin tries anything, come eat with us again."

"Sure. You think Ozpin and Ruby will want to attack her tonight? I kinda don't have a lot of time…"

"Better you ask Oz than me. I'm sure he'll do what has to be done. You're valuable to the hunters; he's not going to ignore that."

Valuable for his niche skills, but it was still valuable. Thanking her again, Jaune jogged back to Ren, ignoring the whispers of those around him. If they could deal with Rebecca, he might be able to sleep again – and that thought alone was enough to have him smiling fit to split his face in two. Things were finally looking up.

Ren and Nora seemed to think so as well, both smiling in a strange way. Amused, surprised, but also happy for him.

It was suspicious enough that he froze. "What?"

"Nothing," Ren said, in the way someone did when it absolutely wasn't `nothing`. "Just finally understanding why you're so tired, and why it's not bothering you so much. Can't say I saw this coming, but I'm happy for you."

"Asking Yang Xiao-Long out of all people," Nora gushed. "Oh my God, my little boy has become a man!"

"W-What? I didn't… Is that what it looked like!?"

Suddenly afraid, Jaune looked back, realising just why everyone was staring at him with mixtures of shock, jealousy and, in some cases, anger. They'd just watched him, a quiet bookworm on the lower end of the social scale, approach and talk to the hottest bad-girl in Beacon. And to make matters worse, they'd just exchanged numbers in front of the student population.

"Shit…"

/-/

The news, as fake as it was, spread like wildfire. He'd faced a couple of questions through the day, some from awed students, some from jealous ones or people `asking for a friend`, and even though he'd denied it each and every time, no one seemed to believe him. The fortunate thing was that Yang was too sleepy to notice, taking the first chance to fall asleep in every lesson and during recess. The teachers had long ago given up on waking her.

If he were being honest, the drama annoyed him, not least of all because it didn't deserve to be drama. He had an eldritch monster trying to eat his soul, monsters roamed the streets and these idiots were more interested in whether he was or wasn't dating Yang. It was so infantile.

 _They don't know better,_ he told himself. _To them, the day's rumours are the most interesting thing they'll see all day._

It didn't make him any less annoyed, but he stopped snapping at every person who approached.

Running helped as well, letting him focus his energy – as waning as it was – into something other than his temper. Better still, once his second wind kicked in, he started to feel more alert and less tired. The first few laps had been weak, but he'd picked up the pace and soon reached the peak of what he usually managed when he used to jog in the evenings.

The coach waved him over as he finished the next lap. His chest rose and fell as he took in air in heavy breaths, but he wasn't gasping. "What's up, sir?" he asked.

"Never seen you out here. Arc, was it?"

"Jaune Arc."

The coach, wearing a striped tracksuit with the logo of Eastfield High on the back and over his heart, and an American flag above it, nodded. He was a middle-aged man not as old as many of the other teachers and incredibly fit. He looked Jaune up and down. "Jaune, then. You've got a runner's body and you know how to pace yourself. You run often?"

"I used to in the evenings, but I had a bad experience a week or so back and had to stop. Wild animal attack."

"That was you? I heard the news."

"Yeah." Best to leave it as it was. "I stopped running as a result, but a friend of mine suggested I get into it in school instead. Safer, and I don't have to give it up."

"Hm. How long did you normally jog for?"

"Maybe two or three miles. Not at full speed obviously…"

"No, no, that's good. It's just that you were doing well out there and I'd not seen you in practice before. We tend to look out for people with that kind of stamina. Not everyone can pace themselves over such a long distance and not come out of it puffing like a steam train. You put any thought into joining the track team?"

"No. Never…"

"Interested?"

Honestly, not he was, though not for the same reasons most people probably would be. The competitions he couldn't care less about, but like Velvet had said, keeping in shape would increase his odds of survival. If it also kept him awake and distracted from his other problems, that was another benefit.

"I might be. Is there a lot of work in the evenings, though? I'm busy most nights."

"None. Not until regional championships, but you're looking at months until those. Most of the competitions will be on campus and that's assuming you make the team. There're try-outs to go through first. It's good exercise, though. Keeps your body and mind sharp."

"I guess I can give it a go…"

"Great!" The coach laughed and clapped a hand on his back. "Come on, I'll introduce you to Captain of the Track Team. She's a nice enough lass and we've a shortage of long-distance runners. Everyone wants to be in the sprints." The coach led him towards a shorter, straight running track where several people were busy preparing for a hundred metre race. "Nikos," he shouted. "Take a break. Got someone I want you to meet."

The girl in question stepped away from the group, telling the others to go without her. She was a tall and athletic girl with bright red hair that was tied up into a ponytail. She wore a white tee over black shorts that clung to her long, powerful legs. Her eyes were a sparkling, inquisitive green.

Pyrrha Nikos. He knew her by name and face even if he'd never spoken with her before. Another one of the more popular girls in Eastfield, though more through her sports career and beauty than anything else. Rumour had it she was Cardin's girlfriend, though the fact Cardin spent more time trying to bully him then with Pyrrha suggested otherwise.

"This is Jaune Arc," the coach said, "Fresh face but I just watched him run two and a half K's without collapsing."

"Oh?" Pyrrha had a soft and pleasant voice, and she held out a hand for him to shake. "That's impressive. I'm Pyrrha Nikos, captain of the track team. Have you come to try out?"

"Jaune Arc," he said, shaking her hand. "And, uh, I really just came to practice, but coach thinks I should…"

"Well, we could always use fresh faces. Have you ever run in competitions before?"

"Never."

"It's not too difficult. We don't actually have many coming up yet, but we always train to keep ahead. You're welcome to join us. Try-outs aren't for another week or two, but we can get an idea for your level beforehand. If that's okay."

"Sure."

"Do you want to try a quick race, then?"

"Against you?" Pyrrha was the track star of Beacon, and she _looked_ every part it. He wasn't sure he'd have a chance against her.

"It won't be for anything in particular. Just to get an idea of how you fare."

"I guess that's fine."

Pyrrha brought him to the starting line and took a place on one of the tracks. It was a straight run from there to the finish, where the racers from earlier had already finished. Jaune lowered himself down and waited for the coach to take his position.

"On zero. Three, two, one, ZERO!"

Jaune pushed off as hard as he could, matching Pyrrha's speed for a moment. It was only off the draw, however. Pyrrha's longer legs pumped harder, carrying her further, and she soon reached a speed he just couldn't keep up with no matter how hard he tried. She finished a good three or four seconds before him, an eternity in racing terms, especially for the one hundred metre.

The short sprint had him breathing heavier than the three kilometres he'd run before had. He came to a stop and placed his hands on his knees, panting for breath.

"Not bad," Pyrrha said, equally short of breath but better able to handle it. "I've definitely seen worse, and if you're better at the long distance like coach says, you should do well here."

"T-Thanks. I'll… I'll try my best." He gasped one last time and stood up straight.

"We'll do some pacing next," Pyrrha decided. It looked like she was getting into it, so much so that she didn't believe he needed any rest. "Let's see how you do on a longer jog. Don't worry, I'll match you. We can talk while we run."

/-/

Weiss hurried through the school corridors clutching the letter inside her shirt. Finally, there was a chance to act. She'd barely managed to sneak away from her minders earlier to snatch it, and she didn't dare open it in the ride to Eastfield, no matter how much she wanted to. If one of them saw it and read about the monsters, they'd think her surrounded by more insane people. She'd be swept out of Vale and away from the first person to ever see what she did.

Once she reached school, she'd immediately opened it, but there hadn't been time to act. It wanted her to call a number and with lessons starting, she hadn't been able to. Now that there was a break, she finally had time.

Locating a quiet place to make the call was hard enough. The toilet might have seemed obvious, but it was too high traffic and what she wanted to talk about too sensitive. Instead, she'd found her way to a currently unused music room. Slipping inside and finding no teachers waiting, she quickly pulled out the already crinkled letter.

 _Weiss Schnee,_

 _What you see is real. It is others that cannot see it. You are not in danger of going mad, but the danger posed to you is no less serious. I know that you dream of an endless sky, but that this is not a pleasant dream._

 _I know what it is, what it wants and why you can no longer sleep safely._

 _It is not safe to write anything here, but you and I must meet. I have included my number below, which you may call as you wish. I will also do my best to prevent the monsters reaching you during the night, but sleep is not safety for you._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Your friend._

Beneath it was a number scribbled down, which Weiss had long since memorised. Fumbling for her phone, she quickly dialled it in, huddling in the corner of the room with the device pressed desperately to her ear.

Let this be real. Let it not be a joke. Let it be answers.

The call clicked.

" _Hello?"_

 _Tschhh – Clink - Clink_

"T-This is Weiss. You… You sent me a message."

" _Weiss Schnee,"_ the voice said. Feminine, a woman's voice, or a girl not that much older than she. There was an odd lilt to it, a strange accent. _"You received my message. Good. For the sake of making sure, tell me, what is it you dream of?"_

"A sky," she answered hoarsely. "Clouds and sky as far as the eye can see. And below it, the ocean. I – I can fly. I can move however I want. But there's something out there, something big. There's no other life. No birds, no insects or anything, but there's this… this _thing_. It's like a giant bird, bug also not quite. Like a snake with feathers. White and red. It…" Weiss' voice choked. "It keeps trying to kill me."

" _Yes. Yes, it does."_

"I want to know what's wrong with me!" Weiss gasped. "I have to know. Please, you're the only one who can see those things – those monsters. You _have_ to know what's going on."

" _I do. But I am not the only one who can see them. There are others."_

"W-What…?"

" _I can't explain here, not freely. You're in danger. I'm sure you've figured it out, but the Lord of the Skies wants you dead. It hunts you."_

"Lord of the skies…?"

" _If it ever catches you successfully, you will die. Do not think it a mere dream. Your body cannot handle sleep deprivation forever, though. Sooner or later, you will fall asleep, and if your slumber lasts long enough, it will catch you."_

"No… I…" What? She would stay awake forever? Never sleep? Weiss' hands clutched the phone so hard it began to crack. She wanted to say this was all a lie, all a sick trick, but faced with not a single person who saw what she did, she didn't dare. Whomever this person was, they were her only lead. "What am I supposed to do?" she asked instead. "How do I escape it?"

" _Both very good questions. The correct questions. It hunts you because you are within its territory. It does not allow you to leave, as I'm sure you've noticed._ "

She had. Her attempts to dive down into the ocean failed, sending her almost broken body scattering across a slick, mirror-like surface. At the very least, the shock of it usually woke her up, saving her, but lately it had not. Lately, she'd started to be dragged deeper into her nightmares.

" _Your only hope is to elude the beast, or to defeat it. The latter will be… difficult. The former might be easier but will be no less dangerous. Your soul-"_

"My soul!?"

There was silence for a moment. Weiss almost thought she'd scared the other away. _"Speaking in person will be easier. In fact, it may well be necessary. We must meet tonight, you and I. You won't be safe otherwise. You're already in deeper than I'd like. You're starting to manifest."_

"Manifest _what_? I don't understand!"

" _The blood that plagued the city, the glass – that was you."_

Weiss' heart froze. "W-What…?"

" _As I said, I can't explain fully here. I'd bring you to my apartment but that'll lead to disaster. There's another in the city like you. You MUST stay away from him."_

"Who? How would I even know who to stay away from?"

" _You've already met him. Forgive me, but I took the liberty of forcing the two of you to meet. Though dangerous, I knew a first meeting would be brief. You would remember him as someone you met briefly before experiencing excruciating pain, right before the blood phenomenon that hit Vale."_

Weiss did. That alone was enough, even without a description. "The blond boy. He goes to the same school as me."

" _Yes. Jaune. I knew it would be important you know him by face, if only to stay far, far away. He may not be a danger to you himself, but you're each a danger to the other."_

"And you made us meet!?"

" _It was the only way to make certain you would know him, and, I'll admit, I also arranged it so that you would be desperate enough to believe what I'm saying here. You don't have time, Weiss Schnee. And I don't have the time to slowly convince you that I'm trustworthy. I needed you to be prepared to accept my help."_

Weiss bit back on her anger, knowing it was useless. This didn't inspire much in the way of trust, but the girl was right. Trust just wasn't necessary here, only answers. "Right. I don't have much of a choice, so I'll agree, but meeting you away from my minders won't be easy. They pick me up the moment school ends, and I'm not allowed out without one of them following me."

" _Then run away from them."_

"Are you mad?" she hissed. "They'll chase me. The whole city will be in uproar. The police-"

" _Do not matter. None of them matter. You need to leave Eastfield. Now, if possible. I will forward an address to your phone. Meet me there."_

"Wait, wait, wait. I can't just run out a school!"

" _You must!"_ the girl insisted. She sounded panicked now. _"There is no more time. I can feel it approaching. Tonight is a night you will not survive alone. Leave the school. Now."_

Something in the girl's voice had Weiss moving already. It was crazy, absolutely insane, and the school would be on to her family the _second_ she didn't turn up to class. They knew her circumstances, knew she was mad. No, `over-imaginative` and `desperate for attention`. Those were the words used to describe her.

Well, to hell with them. Weiss knew this was real, knew her life was in danger.

"O-Okay. I'll do it. But what about the other guy?"

" _He has those who will protect him. You do not. I will see you soon, Weiss Schnee."_

"Wait. What's your name? Who am I talking to?"

" _You may call me Blake."_

The call ended suddenly. A few seconds later, her phone beeped as a text came through. It was a destination, and her phone automatically worked out a small map for her. Leaving the school would have her father furious and her minders in a frenzy.

 _Tschhh – Clink – Clink_

"Not like I have much of a choice…"

 _Tschhh – Clink – Clink_

"Ugh." Weiss staggered back, one hand on her forehead. The sudden _lance_ of pain had her vision swimming. Without warning, it felt like she was experiencing the worst migraine of her life. "W-What'sch going on?" she slurred.

 _Tschhh – Clink – Clink_

 _Tschhh – Clink – Clink_

 _CRACK_

"Argh!"

Blood dripped from her nose.

"H-Have to find her," Weiss panted. "Have to go."

Without waiting for the pain to stop, Weiss ran.

/-/

 _This is good news. Will discuss tonight._

Jaune sent back a quick response to Ozpin's text and put his phone away in the changing room locker. There wasn't a reply from Ruby, but she was probably in her school still. Whatever the case, he was just glad that someone was willing to act on it. Bundling up the rest of his track clothes and his now wet towel, Jaune pulled his way back into his usual clothes.

Training had gone well, all things considered. He'd almost forgotten how relaxing a good run was, and after the strain kicked in and he lost his nerves around Pyrrha, he'd genuinely started to enjoy himself. Pyrrha had too, he thought. Like him, she genuinely enjoyed running, something a lot of people seemed to hate. Of course, he had other reasons to want to keep in shape, but it was good to have at least one thing he could do and have fun with nowadays.

And if all went well and they took down Rebecca and got him out of the Leviathan's sight, it would be fun to have something to do. Competing had never been something he'd taken interest in, but the track team seemed fun. Not nearly as jockey and aggressive as the school football team.

It was strange to be thinking of having fun or the future at all with what was going on, but Blake had found Rebecca. They knew where to find her and Ozpin, Ruby and Yang would help him take her down. From there, he'd be safe.

 _I'm actually close to escaping this thing. I can barely believe it._

Not a moment too soon, really. It had been _days_ now since he'd had a proper eight hours of sleep, and the signs were beginning to show. The naps kept him alive, but not healthy. He'd lost weight and his face in the mirror looked just a little sunken. Jaune poked at the bags under his eyes and watched the skin stretch.

"No wonder Ren keeps bringing it up…"

The door in the mirror's reflection opened suddenly, a large figure still in football armour barging through. The helmet was torn off, revealing a head of orange hair and a _furious_ face beneath it. Cardin. He looked around the small changing room quickly and the only other guy using it quickly took the hint, fleeing.

Ducking his head, Jaune tried to do the same and slip by with his bag – only to have a meaty arm catch his chest.

"You sack of shit!" Cardin roared, lifting him up and hurling him back. Jaune's back impacted the lockers with a loud clang. The bag slipped from his hand. "You didn't think I'd hear what you were pulling? Trying to join the track team? Trying to muscle in on my girl?" Cardin pinned him back against the lockers. "Well, Jaune? Anything to say!?"

"I-I don't know what you mean."

"Wrong answer!"

Cardin dragged him along the lockers, causing the bumps and protrusions to dig into his back. The pain lasted only a second, but relief was short as Cardin tossed him to the side. Jaune's side slapped painfully against the cool tiles and he rolled onto his front, trying to push himself up.

"I thought you'd have caught the hint by now, Jaune. You're insignificant. You're nothing!" Cardin's boot impacted his side, knocking him over. Jaune gasped for breath. "You were nothing back in middle school and you're nothing here. Even less without your sisters to watch your ass. And all you had to do was keep your head down and not cause your betters any trouble. Couldn't even manage that, could you?"

Gasping, Jaune tried to cover his stomach as Cardin kicked him again. "I didn't do anything," he yelled. "I was just practicing!"

"You were running with my girl. Talking with my girl!"

"She's the team captain!"

"And _you_ don't have a place on the team!" Cardin roared. "Not yet, and not anymore if you know what's best for you." Stooping, Cardin hauled Jaune to his feet and dragged him up against the bathroom side, pinning him against the counter. "Remember your place, Jaune. You do what _I_ say. If I say jump, you ask how high. If I say fuck off and leave the track team, you leave. Got it?"

"Why are you doing this?" He asked. It was so childish, so pointless. "I'm not interested in Pyrrha like that. I'm just here to train."

Not that Cardin had ever needed much of a reason before. It was habit now, some sick tradition the bastard had built up. Take a little bit here, push a little there, put him back in his place. This was a continuation of an old game, and although Cardin may have been furious now, Jaune knew he'd have found a different reason to do this even if he hadn't joined the track team.

"The reasons don't matter, Jauney. You just do as you're told."

Do as he was told…? By what, some arrogant twat his own age? Jaune's eyes burned with equal parts tears and anger. _I spent all last night sneaking into a hospital to save this fucking city, Cardin included. I fought a Grimm with nothing but a chair and my bare hands. And now this happens? Now Cardin wants to take away even this small bit of happiness!?_

"No."

Cardin stilled. He raised Jaune up a little further. "What was that? I don't think I heard you properly."

"I – I said no, Cardin." His voice stammered, despite his best efforts. He did manage to meet the bully's eyes, though. "I'm sick of this. It's childish and stupid and I've got better things to do with my time. So no, I'm staying with the track team. Get used to it."

"You think you're some hot shit now, don't you? The dragon takes pity on your ass and pulls me off, then lets you sit with her during lunch, and all of a sudden you think you're the next best thing to grace Eastfield."

"Yang has nothing to do with this. I'm saying this stops."

 _Drip – Drip_

"The only thing that stops is you, Jauney." Cardin grinned. "You remember what happened the last time you tried to push back? How long did it take for your arm to heal?"

A little fear wormed its way inside of him. "You wouldn't…"

"Can't run if you hurt your leg," Cardin said, pulling him off the counter. He dragged Jaune towards one of the open toilets. "Course, I'll say I found your poor ass on the floor. Slipped and broke your leg, very tragic. Pyrrha will lap it up, but she'll be glad I helped you out."

"Are you insane!?" Jaune howled, not caring at all for his volume now. He kicked and thrashed to try and break free, but Cardin had a grip like steel. "You'll be expelled, arrested! You can't just break someone's leg and expect to get away with it!"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Jauney." Cardin pushed him into place, his leg extended over the toilet bowl, his body crammed beside it, held down. Cardin brought his foot up, ready to stamp down. "And if anyone asks, you know what it is you'll say. You'll remember your place and tell them all that I helped you like the good Samaritan I am. And next time, you'll think twice before forgetting your place."

 _Drip – Drip_

"Cardin, no! I'll quit!"

"Too late, Jauney boy. Watch out for the wet tiles."

"NO!"

 _Drip – Drip_

 _Splash_

A loud _bang_ sounded from their left, followed by the cubicle wall that separated their stall from the other imploding inward, catching Cardin straight to his side and knocking him over. Water gushed upwards and onto the floor, the toilet bowl itself having vanished entirely.

"What the fuck!?" Cardin yelled, pushing the partition off.

The toilet bowl beside him exploded.

"ARGH!"

Porcelain fired like shrapnel as the bowl and sistern shattered. Water gushed out over Cardin, smothering his body and causing his words to cut off into a frantic splutter. The next toilet along exploded, too, and the next and the next, until the only one that remained was the one Jaune was huddled against, watching the show with a horrified expression.

His toilet didn't explode. The water in it bubbled, however. Bubbled like it was boiling.

"What the fuck did you do?" Cardin groaned, fighting his way out of the water.

"I didn't do anything!"

 _Drip – Drip_

Shit. He had. He'd done this. A wave of pain slammed into his skull, making him buckle. He groaned and bit his lip as it pulsed in his head. Cardin was rising to his feet, staggering for a second as he fought for balance. Jaune was too hurt to do anything to stop him.

"This is your fault," Cardin hissed. "I just know it is."

"J-Just go away. Leave me alone."

Cardin stalked towards him. "What did you-"

"GET **AWAY!** "

Jaune's hand caught Cardin in the upper chest. It should have done nothing, but instead lifted the much larger boy up off the ground and away. It wasn't through force alone, but rather the water beneath Cardin surging up. The bully flew back and cracked his head on the wall, slumping down to the base. He didn't move.

"Oh shit… I didn't mean to…" As he moved towards Cardin, Jaune caught his appearance in the mirror. His eyes were faintly glowing. Just like Ruby's had, just like Blake's. The water pooling out from the ruptured toilets had also stopped. Not that it had any reason to act like it had in the first place. "No…"

He was running out of time. It had to be now.

"He'll be fine," Jaune whispered, looking down at Cardin. "I need to reach Ozpin."

The rest of school could wait. He'd make excuses later. Cardin would provide a convenient one. Rushing to the changing room door, he pulled the door open and slipped out – only to find himself stepping into a furious and sudden storm.

"What the hell!?"

 _Drip – Drip – Drip – Drip – Drip - Drip_

"Everyone inside!" a teacher yelled, straining to be heard over the noise. It had been calm not twenty minutes earlier, but now Vale was gripped in a storm the likes of which he'd never seen before. The wind was whipping so hard the rain fell sideways, pelting against his face. "You there," the teacher shouted, spotting him. "Get inside, before the storm gets worse! It's going to be a hurricane!"

A droplet of rain landed on his bottom lip. He swallowed without thinking, tasting it. The water was salty, tainted with the unforgettable taste of a deep ocean. As if the suddenness of it wasn't enough, the smell and taste confirmed his fears. Unbidden, his eyes turned upwards, up towards a rapidly darkening sky he could only briefly make out through the rain and wind.

A jagged scar worked its way across the sky.

* * *

 **A Nightmare begins, and during the day. The rules are changing and changing fast. Meanwhile, Jaune loses control and slaps Cardin silly. Such a shame. We're all very sympathetic, I'm sure.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 20** **th** **January**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	17. Chapter 17

**So, I got some Percy Jackson comments and decided to ask the people on my forum. I've never read or watched it (think it had a movie or TV adaptation) but I know the guy had water powers because he's related to Poseidon or something and thought that was the similarity people were mentioning here. Nope. There's a toilet scene like in last chapter, but I think a little different.**

 **Oh well. Any likeness was unintended, etc. I only wanted Jaune and Cardin to fight in a toilet to act as a comparison to chapter one, which had Jaune being too afraid to fight as he was dunked and pissed on by Cardin and crew. Mainly to highlight Jaune slowly changing.**

 **On Cardin and Pyrrha… well, you'll see in time…**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 17**

* * *

The jagged scar tore a black line through the sky, curved like some kind of dome with an inkiness inside that was just unnatural. Black wasn't a colour that occurred all too often in nature and was normally just an absence of light or dark shadow, but this was nothing like that. This was a raw black that defied all logic and understanding. The wind and rain, still building up, changed direction suddenly, buffeting him from behind and driving him to his knees.

A Nightmare. During the day. It just wasn't possible. Ozpin said these happened at night – and that they came at least a month or two apart. It hadn't been a week since the last.

"Is this your doing, Rebecca…?"

 _Drip – Drip_

"Or is it mine?"

"Hey!" the teacher by the main building yelled. It was to him, but also others caught out, who scurried like frightened animals to the relative safety of the robust school building. "Come on. Get inside while it's still safe!"

Safe? Jaune moved without thinking but paused halfway. The building was sturdy and designed to stand up to hurricane-level winds, at least in theory, but this was only the start of the Nightmare. Already, he could hear Grimm in the distance. If they came for the Awakened – came for him – then the school would become a death trap.

"Come on! What are you waiting for?"

The only safe place right now was Beacon. All the way on the other side of Vale, the lighthouse was already shining. Ozpin had made clear the alarm, if the storm did not already. Heart in his throat and hands covered in sweat, Jaune turned away from the school.

"Stop! Get back here!"

He ran. Already warmed up from his training, he sprinted across the sodden running track, past startled boys and girls who were fleeing in the opposite direction, toward the school building. The rain shifted and slammed into him, bowling several people over with the sudden assault. It tried to push him back too, almost as if it alone was fighting to keep him away from his destination.

"Stop it!" he yelled. His voice was taken and lost.

 _Drip – Drip_

"I said **stop**!"

The rain around him halted suddenly and was then blasted back. The pressure it had put on him ceased and he hurtled forward, off the track and towards the wrought-iron fence surrounding Eastfield. As he slipped through the bars, a distant roar reaching his ears. _Thunder,_ he told himself, knowing it was not.

Already, the Nightmare was taking its toll on the city. Cars had ground to a halt, some having crashed into one another and abandoned, their alarms blaring emptily into the storm. Bright lights flashing in the sudden dark. Their owners had, he hoped, already fled to find cover. It was almost impossible that no one had died, but there wasn't time to stop and look. With cars and taxis down, he'd have to make it on foot.

His phone was dead he realised not a minute into the journey. Pulling it out of his pocket, he found the battery full and the functions still working, but no signal whatsoever. He typed a plea for help to both Yang and Ruby just in case and stashed it away. If it repeated like the last Nightmare, there would be no help until it was over.

God, he hoped Ruby and Yang were okay. This happening at school couldn't be good. They'd not have any weapons to hand. Neither did he, but he only intended to run anyway.

But did he run to Beacon, or his apartment? Blake would be at the latter and it was closer, not even half the distance from Eastfield. The problem was that she might not be there. If she wasn't, he'd be helpless. Even if she slept through the day, she had to have woken up for this.

"Beacon," he decided, already running in that direction. "Ozpin will know what to do."

He wasn't the only one running for cover. People ran by screaming and shouting, others huddled in doorways and some pushed into shops and storefronts, desperate for whatever cover they could find. A sudden shift in the direction of the wind pushed a couple to the floor and had Jaune stumbling towards the road. A car's horn blared angrily as bright lights cut through the rain, rushing by only two metres away. It carried on by, the sound of tyres scything through water combined with rain on a metal roof.

It was followed by the roar of an engine, closer, and a _screech_ of tyres as someone came to a stop beside him. Someone shouted something that was lost in the storm, but he thought he caught his name somewhere in it. Looking up, he saw a motorbike that had come to a stop, and atop it, only just visible through the rain, a helmeted face with long blonde hair coming from the bottom. The rider flipped the visor up.

"Yang?"

"Get on!" Yang roared, fighting to be heard over the deluge. She slammed her hand down on the seat behind her. She didn't wear any motorbike leathers and instead had only a pair of tight jeans and a jacket over a blouse, the same she'd been wearing in school. Either way, she was a sight for sore eyes.

"How did you find me?" he asked as he clambered on, looping one leg over and hesitating on where to put his hands.

"Didn't," she replied, shouting over the rain. "Only one obvious route to Beacon from Eastfield. We were both going the same way. Put your hands around my stomach," she instructed.

"Don't you have a second helmet?"

"This isn't my bike."

Jaune flinched. "You stole it!?"

"Needs must. Do you want to get to Beacon before the Grimm hit, or what?"

Put like that, there wasn't much to be said. Jaune wrapped his hands around Yang's stomach and pushed his face into her hair, more to keep the water from his eyes than anything. The engine beneath him roared to life, and although he'd never ridden on a motorbike before, he wasn't about to complain. Tucking his feet into the side, he held on for dear life.

They didn't speed off as fast as he'd imagined. A moment later, the reason became clear. The storm was so bad that Yang could barely see the road ahead, let alone traffic coming. It was slippery as well, and while the bike was made to deal with some wetness, it wasn't designed to deal with the quickly changing winds that might have picked it up and thrown it to the side were it going closer to forty or fifty miles per hour. They were travelling at somewhere around twenty to thirty. Slow considering the danger, but faster than either of them could have managed on foot.

It felt strange to think they were fleeing from monsters as twenty miles an hour when they could be going faster, but there wouldn't be much fleeing involved if they crashed into an oncoming car.

"Why is the Nightmare now?" Jaune yelled. "I thought they were supposed to be at night."

"They are! There's something wrong."

"What?"

"If I knew that, I wouldn't have said something." Yang sighed under her helmet. "I don't know, okay? This never happened before. Bad enough it's a fucking hurricane, but Grimm as well? So soon after the blood? People are gonna talk…"

"What can we do?"

"Nothing. We try and outlast the Nightmares, try and limit the damage. We don't even know what causes them, let alone how to stop 'em."

Outlast this? The last Nightmare seemed bad enough, but at least that had just been Grimm. Normal people didn't have to worry about those, but this hurricane was going to tear through Vale. Apart from traffic accidents and people hurt by falling debris, there was going to be a whole lot of structural damage. Any who had the misfortune to Awaken now were almost certainly going to die.

"Hunters will be getting weapons and doing what they can," Yang said. "When a Nightmare occurs, the boundary is weakened. That means more Grimm can come through, but also that they can have more of an impact on people."

"I thought you couldn't see them if you weren't Awakened?"

"You can't, but if a Grimm would pass through you before, it might be corporeal enough now to knock someone down. It's more common when they see an Awakened. They get excited and start to hunt, then they can smash into things. Works both ways, of course. They're more vulnerable for it."

Was that what happened the first time he'd been in a Nightmare, when the Grimm crashed into that car? Normally, it should have passed through it without making a dent.

"Where will we find more hunters?" he asked.

"Beacon. Not everyone carries and most keep their gear there, especially if they're trapped in school like us." They wouldn't have thought it necessary to be armed during the day and the schools here weren't exactly places you could carry openly. "Just hang on. We'll be there in less than ten minu-" Yang cut off with a sudden yell and dragged the bike to the side. They swerved violently, struck the curb and mounted it even as a bright light flashed by. When the wheels touched down, they hit one before the other, causing the bike to pull out of control.

The bike went down, falling sideways and then skating on ahead while he and Yang tumbled off the back, rolling wildly along the pavement. Yang struck something, likely a wall, and he hit her a second later in what was a marginally softer landing. Even so, the pavement had scraped and peeled some skin off his arm.

The car that had nearly hit them was already out of control. It careened through their side of the road, hit the curb behind them and _slammed_ into the wall with a sickening _crunch_ of twisted metal and shattering glass.

"Fucking psycho!" Yang screamed, kicking Jaune off and throwing the helmet aside. "I don't even have a license and I drive better than that!" She took stock of the accident, anger dissipating once she realised what had happened to the car and its occupants. "Oh, crap. Are they…?"

"I-I don't know. Should we check?"

Yang bit her lip but an animalistic roar in the distance answered for her. "No. We can't do anything for them even if they're alive. Any first aid you could give would cost them when the Grimm come for us. We have to leave 'em."

A pragmatic decision, he realised. Not callous or cruel, not with how distressed she sounded, but the only choice they could make in a spot like this. If the Grimm came for him and fought here, they might damage the car, killing the occupants if they weren't already dead. The worst part was that he wasn't sure the ambulances would be able to make it through this storm. Even with the phone lines and signal down, they'd already be treating this like a national emergency and dealing with all the other accidents.

"The bike is totalled," Yang said, kicking at the thing. Even he could see it wasn't going to work again, the handlebars twisted and one of the wheels bent where it had hit a wall. "Guess roads were always a bad idea, but I figured people would have more sense than to drive in conditions like this."

He might have agreed if his stint in the hospitals hadn't prepared him for it. One of the first lessons he learned was that no matter how risky it was, no matter how reckless or stupid, _someone_ out there would do it. Maybe because they thought it was cool, didn't think of the risks or thought it wouldn't happen to someone like them.

A couple more roars and growls in the near distance told them they were taking too much time. Yang moved quickly, kicking her helmet aside and waving for him to follow her as she jogged down the street, one arm held up to shield her eyes from the ferocious storm.

"We're on foot. That means we need weapons," she said. "Means you're gonna have to fight. I know you're about to say you can't, but you don't have a choice. It's fight or die. If I give you a pipe, will you be able to swing it?"

"Yeah. If my life is on the line. Don't expect anything amazing, though."

"Unamazing is fine. We really need something bladed, though. Cut through their skin. Aim for… well, aim for anything you can get. Eyes, face, arms, hands, whatever. Guns are useless aside from distractions because they don't have organs, but you cut an arm off and it's going to lose its arm."

"Ozpin and Ruby told me how it works."

Yang nodded to him, her face sodden and hair drenched. "Good. I know we've not had the _best_ of times together, but if you stick by me here, I'll stick by you. We'll look after each other, okay?"

"Okay." He managed to say it without stammering. There was no denying he wasn't afraid but having someone with him who was used to this helped. "I'll do whatever you say." he added. Yang knew best, after all. "Do you think Ruby will be okay?"

"Ruby's better equipped for this than we are. She won't be in a position to _fight_ any of them, but when it comes to avoiding them and reaching Beacon, no one is more capable than her. There's a couple other hunters I'm worried about but… fuck." She shook her head. "Nothing we can do to help 'em right now. Here, come on."

Yang led him off the main road and toward what appeared to be a small shop of some kind. Not quite a seven-eleven, but close. The doors were open, but the interior was empty, the staff inside having fled when the storm hit.

"What are we doing here?"

"Looking for weapons," she replied. "Don't worry about CCTV, those will all be knocked out by the Nightmare." She nodded to one camera in the corner, which hung limply, the lights turned off. "Looting is typical in situations like this, too. No one will notice or care enough to look into it." Leaping over the counter, Yang ran her hands underneath, likely looking for a gun of some sort. "Try and find a knife, pipe or anything we can use. Iron of steel if possible. Keep an open mind. We're desperate for anything."

Anything? The shop was mostly selling food, snacks and everyday stuff like matches, cleaning supplies, toilet paper and the like. Bleach would have made a good weapon against people, but he wasn't sure Grimm would technically have eyes or skin. Moving over to the cleaning tools, he started to run his hands along some mops and brooms, hoping one would be metal. No such luck. It was a long shot anyway.

The aisle selling a scant amount of kitchen supplies worked better. "I found some knives!"

Yang was over the counter and beside him almost instantly. They were small, thin packs of three to four knives stacked atop one another. Not butter knives, but ones for cutting vegetables and meat.

"Flimsy shit," Yang hissed. "They'll probably snap after a single hit."

"Sorry, I'll keep-"

"No, no. They'll do." Yang tore open a pack and took four out, then reached for another and did the same, putting the knives in her pockets and even in the waistband of her jeans. "Grab some yourself. Don't try and be fancy with them; just stab and let go. Leave the blades in the Grimm if you have to."

An opened pack was thrown his way and her caught it nervously. The knives really did feel too small for what he recalled the Grimm looking like. Even so, he peeled the knives out and put them in his pocket, all too aware of how close the steel was to cutting through his pant leg into his skin.

"From here, we'll make out way to the water's edge and follow it to Beacon," Yang said. "More likely to be hunters that way. Wider, more open areas to fight in. Less traffic."

"Sure."

"Stay behind me, don't sprint and whatever happens, do what I tell you to."

"Got it."

"No matter wha-"

"DON'T MOVE!" A tall man in the black-blue short-sleeved shirt and black pants of a police officer stood in the doorway, gun drawn and pointed in their direction. It was the first time he'd ever had a gun aimed towards him and Jaune froze. His hands inched upwards.

Yang was less co-operative. "Seriously?" she muttered, turning. "Hey, you realise there's a car crash, like, right outside the door. Not _one minute_ down the way. Don't you have anything better to do?"

"I said don't move!" the man repeated. One hand on his weapon, the other drew up a walkie talkie. He muttered something into it, then tried again. Only after silence greeted his third attempt did he let go. "Put down your weapons and step away from them. Now."

"We don't have time for this," Yang said.

"Put down your weapons!"

"Yang," Jaune hissed. He'd already stooped, one hand still up, the other putting one of the knives down towards the ground. The officer looked twitchy, and while Mass didn't have all that many police shootings, the current situation was just stressful enough to warrant one. "I think he's serious."

" _I'm_ serious as well," Yang said. "Officer, there's no time for this and you know it. What are you going to do, march us down to the station in the middle of a hurricane? You can't be thinking of driving in this. We'll never make it."

"Put the knife down!"

"Or are you going to shoot us? Two kids stealing some shit from a convenience store in the middle of a hurricane and you're going to shoot them. Nice. I bet that'll look good on your record. Meanwhile, there are people out there who need your hel-"

A bullet slammed into the shelf a foot or so to Yang's left. Startled, Jaune fell onto his back. Even Yang flinched, shocked by the sudden shot.

"I _said_ put the weapons down!" the officer screamed, _screeched_ even. His eyes were wide, bloodshot. "I-I don't know what's going on, but I don't care. The law is the law. I swore to uphold it. I don't care where this storm came from. I don't care about the animal sounds. Put the weapons down and get down on the ground."

"Wait, animal sounds?" Yang asked. Her question was followed by another distant roar, and this time Jaune was not the only one to flinch. The officer did, too, his eyes darting to his side. "You can hear that? Shit."

"He's Awakened?" Jaune hissed.

"More often during a Nightmare." Yang held a hand out towards the officer, an empty one. With the other, she drew out one of her knives and crouched, laying it down. "There, I'm doing what you say. But I need you to listen to me. There are things out there that you don't understand. You're in danger."

"More!" the police officer growled. "I know you have more. On the ground."

"I'm doing it, I'm doing it. Those sounds, though. They're real. There are creatures out there – think of them as wild animals. They're hunting people, hurting people."

"T-Then you'll explain at the station. We'll deal with it."

"They won't understand. It's not something that can be explained so easily."

"Yeah? That's convenient."

Yang growled. "I'm not fucking around with you. This is a matter of life and death."

"She's telling the truth," Jaune said, hoping some added reasoning might help. "This storm, the suddenness of it, even the blood from a day or two ago. It's all related. Those crashes out there and those sounds you're hearing? There are monsters out there actively hurting people. We're just trying to defend ourselves. Unless you think we like stealing kitchen knives when we could have gone for the money."

"Monsters?" the man laughed. "Great. I don't know what drugs you kids are on, but it'll all be added to your charges."

 _Drip - Drip_

"Idiot," Yang gritted out.

Jaune winced. "What do we do?"

"We-" Yang's words were cut off as she looked past the officer, her eyes growing wide. There was a shadow behind the officer, large and menacing. Its eyes glowed gold. "Look out!"

"Like I'm going to fall for-"

Too late. The Grimm swept down with one hand, catching the police officer in the junction between his shoulder and neck. Arterial blood sprayed out. Skin, muscle and bone gave way as the claws dragged straight down into his back. A loud ` _bang_ ` echoed in the store as it happened. Yang fell with a cry, clutching her shoulder. The bullet didn't come out the other side of her.

Horrified, Jaune watched the officer's body collapse like a puppet with its strings cut. Blood was everywhere and through the haze of shock and fear, the analytical part of his mind pointed out that the wound was fatal. Very, very fatal. The beast that had dealt it was easily seven feet tall. More real than usual, more physical than mist, its body was an inky, sickly black. Bone plates of white and cream covered the black skin, forming interlocking armour across its barrel chest reaching up to a skull that laid on the outside of its skin. It was bear-like in appearance, though even that didn't quite fit. There was too much out of place and it stared at him with too much hunger.

"M-Move," Yang hissed. "Don't just stand there!"

The Grimm stepped onto the dying officer at his feet. The man's ribcage exploded inward, killing him if he wasn't dead already.

 _Drip - Drip_

Deep inside of him, somewhere where fear couldn't penetrate, long dormant instincts came to life. Even with his brain trapped in panic mode, he fell to one knee, gripped a knife with one hand and Yang's top with the other. He dragged her out of sight, behind a shelf of chips and sweets.

"C-Can't hide," Yang panted, bleeding from one shoulder. To his shock, she managed to force herself up and stand on her own feet. "Give me the knife."

"Are you kidding? You've been shot!"

"Give me the fucking knife, Jaune!"

He did.

"R-Right. When I fight it, need you to get that man's gun."

"I thought you said guns don't do anything."

"They do more than I do injured. And more than you do. Just… keep shooting it. Bullets don't do much, but enough will blind it. We can escape." Yang swallowed and held the knife tightly in one hand. "Meanwhile, I'll keep it busy."

Bleeding out like she was? "You're insane…"

"Go!" Yang pushed him away and stepped out into the open. "Hey, asshole! Wanna try fighting one of us humans head-on this time? Or you make a habit of attacking from behind? Didn't realise you Grimm were such pussies."

Whether or not the Grimm understood her, it still leapt forwards. He could only make out her giving way as it came in and her shouting out in anger, and then both were out of sight, having passed the aisle he was hidden in. A second or two passed as he fought past the urge to stand still and hope he wasn't seen, hide or just run out the door altogether and flee for his life.

 _No. I'm not like that. I'm not that kind of person._

 _Drip – Drip_

Cursing, Jaune broke cover and ran. He went around the back of the shelves, out the way of the Grimm and across the full inner perimeter of the shop. The officer's dead body still lay by the door, empty eyes staring up and blood everywhere. Fighting the urge to gag, he knelt by the man and pushed him over, looking for the weapon. As he did, he glanced over at the fight between Yang and the Grimm.

Yang ducked a huge paw and stabbed her knife up under its arm, into what would have been the bicep. The arm kept going so she let go of the weapon, ducking past as the beast roared. As she went, she grabbed hold of a display shelf with both hands and dragged it down, spilling cartons of milk and packets of cheese onto the monster. None of which stopped it, but the milk exploding on the floor at least made it slippery. The Grimm tore his way through the metal shelving unit.

For being injured and armed with a kitchen knife, Yang was holding her own. It wasn't hard to imagine her killing one or two of these if she had her shotgun and usual weapons with her. The blood she left behind worried him, though. She was bleeding profusely, and all the activity was only making it worse.

His fingers touched cold metal. "I've found it!" he shouted.

"Great. Then shoot it!"

Such an easy suggestion; such a difficult task. Prying the gun from the dead man's hand, Jaune brought it up and aimed it at the Grimm. His hands were shaking, his entire body shaking too. The barrel roamed dangerously, passing over Yang at times. The two were still engaged in a ferocious melee, Yang being forced to dodge and give ground. If he shot and missed, he was bound to hit her.

Sweat beaded on his brow as he tried to steady his aim.

"SHOOT IT!"

"Damn it, I'm trying!" Jaune yelled. Angry with himself, Yang and everything else, he surged up and forward, closing the distance. If he couldn't aim for shit and get past Yang, he had to get close. Close was a bad idea. Very bad. He realised it when he'd already passed Yang and come to a stop not _three metres_ from the monster.

The Grimm met his gaze, roared and reached out for him.

He squeezed the trigger.

The first shot hit the monster's skull and cracked the bone, but it being outside the creature's head, did little damage. The recoil, on the other hand, was insane. His dad had taken him and his sisters to shoot rifles once at a range, but this was different. His second hand came up to clamp onto the grip and he corrected, aiming lower. Two, three, four and then five shots impacted the creature's upper chest, neck and face. Bone splinters, bits of gristle and something that might have been black blood came loose.

It didn't stop, though. It kept coming, inexorably on and on, fighting past the jolts that shook its body with every shot that connected. Realising in its own insane way what was going on, it brought both arms up to shield its face as it approached.

"Now!" Yang yelled. She darted past him without a second's thought, the one word the only warning he got to hold fire. Closing the distance, and with the Grimm's arms busy, she dove into its guard and brought two knives up under its arms, directly into the beast's chin. They bit deep, slicing up through the softer flesh there into its neck.

The Grimm roared and backhanded her away. Yang smashed through a shelving unit and landed in an explosion of snacks on the other side with a groan. The Grimm shook its head in obvious pain, staggering back a step. It was his only chance.

A scream in his throat, Jaune charged towards it. Unarmed apart from a gun that did very little, he slammed into the much larger creature's chest, throwing his arm and shoulder against its body and pushing with both feet. Had it been stationary, it would have done nothing. He might as well have tried to push a parked car. But staggering back and already hurt, the beast tried to step back even further. Its legs hit the counter, its body – so tall that it dwarfed it – left it unbalanced. With a startled roar, the Grimm fell back over the counter, slammed into the alcoholic drinks stacked on shelves on the other side, and slid down into the small space between the counter and the wall.

As more glass rained down on it, the creature struggled and tried to pull itself out, only to make its situation worse. It was trapped on its back and squashed with nothing to grab onto. At least for now. It wouldn't take long for the thing to destroy the counter or break down the wall entirely. Jaune ran to Yang and helped her up.

"Are you okay?"

"Been better," she hissed, gripping her wounded shoulder once more. "Quick thinking. You're handy to have around."

"I didn't kill it. Don't know how."

"It's fine. This is enough." Stooping, Yang picked up a few of the knives they'd dropped earlier. It was clear she wanted out, though. "Keep it," she said when he offered her the gun. "With my shoulder like this, I won't be able to aim properly. We need to get out of here. Run. I don't have the tools to deal with it."

"And you need medicine," he said. "You're going to bleed out at that rate." Sadly, even he knew there was no time to stop and bandage it. At least not until they lost this Grimm. "I might be able to make a wrap out of your top, but we need to be somewhere safe."

"Only Beacon is safe. Go." She gave him a push towards the door and the storm raging outside. Leaving one Grimm behind, stepping out to face many more. "We can't hide. We either get to Beacon or we die. I ain't going down without a fight." Yang looked him up and down and grinned lazily. "And judging from the state of you, you're not either."

Jaune had a moment to glance down. Blood, sweat, the smell of gunpowder and also urine. He'd pissed himself. Yang didn't point it out. In the end, it didn't really matter. He had a gun in one hand, a knife in the other and he was prepared to stab anything that got in his way.

"Yeah," he said, grinning hysterically. "I guess I am. Let's go."

/-/

"Let me make one thing clear. What you are seeing today isn't going to stop. Events like this, natural disasters, monsters on the streets. That's going to become a constant in your life now. It's your new reality."

Weiss looked up at the woman across from her. Dark-hair, a smooth face, golden eyes that shone unnaturally. One of those things stood out, and not for the right reasons. The woman was also armed with a wicked knife as long as Weiss' arm, and she knew the girl could use it. The dead monster at her feet was evidence of that.

"What's happening?" Weiss asked. "What's going on?"

"The people in this world call it a Nightmare. It's an apt term, I suppose. The `night` part doesn't really fit now, but then, this isn't a normal incursion. What you need to know is that this is a point at which the barrier is being stretched."

"Barrier?"

"Think of it like a net," Blake explained. "Little things slip through but they're mostly harmless. Little phenomenon that lead to the occasional death, but more often conspiracy theories no one takes seriously. Aliens, Roswell, Bigfoot, Poe, La Chupacabra. Wherever it happens, you make up your own names for them and no one takes them seriously. Those that do die. The rest of the world lives on peacefully. But what happens when something _bigger_ tries to come through that net? What happens then?"

"It can't…" Weiss said. "Can it?"

"No. It can't. At least… not while the net holds. But if the shark trying to get through manages to bite through some of the fibre, then smaller fish can swim through. Smaller ones, but ones still bigger than before." Blake nodded to the disappearing creature at her feet. "That's what is happening right now. Something big is trying to come through, something this world won't be able to handle. It's trying to tear its way through, and all of this is the dregs that are being let through while it's happening. You, Weiss, are one of the few who can now _see_ this and what is happening."

"How?"

"I don't know."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

Weiss bit her lip and growled. "What _do_ you know!?"

"I know that this Nightmare won't end for another twelve or more hours. I know that the barrier won't last that long, and that unless something is done, Vale – and beyond it, all of the United States – will fall into madness and slaughter."

The stark warning drove the air from Weiss' lungs. She reached out a hand to grip the wall beside her, to steady herself. "N-No. You can't be serious."

"I am. Look."

Weiss followed Blake's eyes, walking up to the edge of the rooftop they were stood on. The view from it was impressive, though the heavy storm distorted it. The afternoon air was ice cold, made even more so because the thick clouds blocked out the sun. Still, in the distance, Weiss could make out the roiling surface of the Quabbin Reservoir. Only just.

"What am I looking for?"

"Watch the water, Weiss. Watch and see."

 _Tschhh - Clink - Clink_

She _was_ watching it. What little she could make out. It was too far for detail and the water reflected the darkness of the sky above, looking as impenetrable as the deep ocean. The surface of it wasn't still, obviously. The rain and wind had it forming waves that sloshed up against Vale's waterside boulevard.

"I don't see what I'm supposed to-"

A bright, luminous yellow light glinted beneath the water. Giant, giant like a football pitch, except circular, or maybe oval. There was a darker patch in the centre – a pupil, she realised. The huge eye shifted left and right, piercing through the water as if from a great depth. The size of it alone must have made up half of the bay. Weiss staggered back from the roof's edge, bumping into Blake as she did.

"Leviathan. It seeks to break through. This rain isn't rain, you realise. It's water from the ocean, water pouring through the cracks in the barrier. It won't stop until Vale is submerged. Considering how much of it there is, it might take Boston with it. That would be, Vale included, about seven hundred and fifty thousand people. Even if they can't see Leviathan, they can be swept away and drowned as an inland ocean appears in a single night."

"D-Do we run?"

Could they run? If this was going to happen as quickly as Blake said, Weiss wasn't sure they could get away. And would it even matter? If the ocean was as big as it seemed, it might connect to the Atlantic. From there, this thing could reach any major population centre on the planet. Nowhere would be safe.

"I see you realise the danger," Blake said. "It's no coincidence Vale was chosen as the staging point for this. The Quabbin Reservoir would give Leviathan something to work with. Its proximity to the coast would ensure it has room to grow. Earth is two-thirds water, give or take. That makes it a very tempting domain for the Leviathan."

Weiss' body shook, but something about Blake's tone stopped her panicking too much. The woman was calm, overly so. She had a plan. She had to, otherwise she wouldn't have wasted time drawing her out here and explaining.

"What do we do?"

"We give the Leviathan something else to worry about. Keep it occupied." Blake turned to her. " _You_ will give it something to draw its attention away. Or rather, what hunts you will do it."

Weiss wasn't stupid; she caught on immediately. "You want me to go to sleep here? Now!?"

"I will protect your body, and, should you succumb to the beast, I will do you the kindness of a quick and painless death. But if you can draw the Lord of the Skies into conflict with the Lord of the Ocean…"

Weiss' eyes slid to the reservoir again. She couldn't see the eye anymore, but she knew it was still there, waiting for the barrier to fracture so that it could come crashing through. "Leviathan is the Lord of the Ocean. The ocean in my dreams…"

Blake said nothing. She stepped behind Weiss and placed her hands on the girl's shoulders, close to her neck. The message was clear. The risk even more so. Weiss closed her eyes and wished not for the first time that this could all be a nightmare. Hah. It was just that, she reflected. Three quarters of a million people's lives rested on her shoulders.

At least now she knew she wasn't insane. If she died now, that small comfort was enough.

"Do it."

"You are a brave human, Weiss Schnee," Blake said, closing her arms around Weiss' neck, choking her. "If you do not survive, I will remember you."

Weiss had no time to answer. Blake's arms were strong, stronger than they had any right to be. Darkness swallowed her vision as her lungs burned. The world closed in around her, dimming to black.

* * *

 **Bit of a cliff-hanger. Of sorts.**

 **Not much to say here. Still a little ill but surviving. Better than I was yesterday by far!**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 27** **th** **January**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	18. Chapter 18

**It's a little bit of a shorter chapter today due to my being unusually busy on a Sunday. My apologies. Don't worry, though. There's still plenty in it~**

 **Mostly, though, it was just me being overly busy that kept me getting this longer. My puppy, Kali, was running in the fields this morning and managed to get a big twig with thorns stuck into her hind legs. Had to remove that, and then she was bleeding badly because she drove it in deeper, so I had to rush her to the vet.**

 **She's okay, but feeling incredibly sorry for herself and laying on my feet at all times.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 18**

* * *

 _Drip – Drip_

 _Drip – Drip_

 _Drip – Drip_

It was a constant echo in his skull now, coming faster than the rain, louder than the thunder. Where before, each drip had fallen with the soft `plunk` of a droplet of water hitting a sink, it now echoed with a loud bass, like a whale falling into a swimming pool.

He was grateful for the storm that kept him cold, wet and awake – kept him moving forward.

"Ughh…"

The same could not be said for Yang, who slumped against his shoulder, one arm thrown over his neck while he had another under her ribs to support her. A warm, wet patch had begun to spread over his upper arm, her blood seeping out onto him. She was heavy, limp and dying.

"Not too long. We're nearly there."

Yang's eyes, misty and glazed, opened blearily. "Liar…"

"You'll be okay. You'll make it."

"L-Liar…"

He bit his lip and refused to respond. Yang had been fine coming out the convenience store, but another fifteen or twenty minutes of running combined with a Grimm encounter she'd sorted out en route had led to her suddenly collapsing. Probably not blood loss, not yet, but shock and the drowsiness that came with it had robbed her muscles of all strength. Even now, she wasn't all there -prone to mumbling about Ruby, Ozpin and sometimes even `Mom` or `Dad`.

This was the most lucid she'd been. Considering how far out they still were from Beacon, he'd hoped she'd just believe him.

They were off the high street and headed down towards the reservoir itself – the water's edge. Sadly, they were on the wrong side of the city to reach the boulevard where Beacon lay, which meant there'd be at least another fifteen minutes, easily twenty to twenty-five since he had to carry Yang the whole way.

If anything, the storm only got stronger the closer they got to the Quabbin reservoir. The wind picked up and began to change directions more frequently, whipping around them, pushing then pulling suddenly, trying to drag them off their feet.

With a breath of relief, Jaune and Yang stepped out of the main streets of Vale and onto the waterfront, where the tall buildings ceased to surround them. The inky blackness of the Quabbin Reservoir spread out before him, its water churning like an ocean's surface. In the distance, the lights of the Beacon lighthouse penetrated through the gloom, rotating lazily and shining a beacon out for all Awakened who could see it.

"There it is, Yang. Beacon. Can you see it?"

"Ruby…?"

"No. She's not here. She's safe, I'm sure."

"I-It's okay, Ruby. I… Y-Your big sis will get you somewhere safe."

Shit. That wasn't good. Hoisting her a little higher, Jaune forced himself on, taking one trudging step after another. Although the route was clearer now, the open air around them provided little cover from the hurricane winds as they buffeted and knocked them about. The howling sound of it cutting through the streets behind them sounded like a great beast hunting them.

"D-Dad will be okay… You'll see…"

There was a body on the ground nearby. A long coat, a knife and a sawn-off shotgun lay nearby. A hunter. He or she was face down and, considering the blood, very dead. Shaking slightly and with his muscles protesting every little action, he stooped and picked up the shotgun, throwing away the handgun which was by now spent. It went into the reservoir where his fingerprints hopefully wouldn't be found. Instead of a splash, it was swallowed with a sickening `plop` sound, as if the water was thick, viscous goop.

"D-Do you see that light?" Yang asked.

Jaune nodded. "I see it. Beacon."

"I-It means people will be there. We're nearly there, Ruby. We're nearly safe…"

Not him, then. Standing once more, he stepped over the fallen hunter and continued on, eyes scanning the nearby storefronts for any Grimm. Whatever killed this person must have still been out there, but it might have been long gone. There was just no telling. With Yang out, it would be up to him to defend them both.

"Ruby…?" Yang whispered, horrified.

"Ruby is fine," he said, aware she wasn't lucid but hoping she could process the words nonetheless. "Ruby is alive and safe."

"R-Ruby. No…"

"She's okay, Yang."

"Ruby. Please, breathe. I – I can't do this alone. Please breathe."

His eyes clenched shut. "She's breathing, Yang. She's okay."

"N-No. She isn't…" It was the first time she'd sounded like she was talking to him. "H-Her chest isn't m-moving. Her heart… It's still. E-Empty eyes. God, Ruby, no. N-Not you as well."

"Yang!" he hissed.

"She's dead, Jaune. Ruby… Ruby is dead."

 _Drip - Drip_

"She isn't dead, Yang. Trust me."

Yang drifted off, muttering inaudible words to herself quietly.

 _She's delirious. Ruby and Yang must have come this way once and she's reliving it._ He refused to believe the `life flashing before your eyes` nonsense, but he could imagine it had been a Nightmare the night the two Awakened. Perhaps there had been a storm then as well.

Either way, as painful as it was to admit it, he was relieved when Yang went silent, staggering along limply with her head resting on his shoulder. It wasn't what she deserved.

"Not much longer, Yang. I promise."

/-/

 _Tick - Tock_

"Where is she!?"

The scythe tore through the Grimm's face, throat and shoulder, coming out the other side in a spray of ethereal gore. The creature staggered and fell, but she caught it by the snout before it could and stared into its eyes.

"Where is she!?"

A gurgled growl was her only response.

Her scythe finished the job and she let the beast fall. Before it had touched the ground, she was already moving. Silver eyes shining like fireflies scanned the dark, piercing through the rain with ease. No Yang, no Yang, no Yang. Grimm, hunters, the fallen. She lingered on the latter but moved on when the hair wasn't golden.

 _Tick – Tock_

Ruby's eyes shifted towards the water. To anyone else, it might have seemed normal. Dark due to the storm and roiling from the wind, but not unusual. To her, it glimmered with an unnatural light. She was running out of time. The ticking in her head only compounded the issue.

"Where are you, Yang? Damn it."

Phones were dead – again. The Nightmares were getting stronger and more frequent. Hunters were dying all over the place, but then, they'd known that was likely their fate. It was worse because of how many had been caught off-guard and unarmed by a Nightmare during the day. Such should not have been possible.

Thunder crackled in the distance, out over the reservoir. The water _roiled_.

"Yang…"

Several shapes shuffled behind her. Grimm, creeping out from the streets and onto the boulevard. Ruby groaned, glaring back at them with bright silver eyes.

"I don't have time for you. Go away."

The lead Grimm hissed in her direction, bearing a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth.

"Am I supposed to be impressed?"

"RARGH-URK!" The Grimm froze mid-roar as her scythe tore into the side of its head, lodging in its skull.

"I don't." Ruby hissed, riding the creature down in the midst of its allies. "Have time." A wrench, a drag, and the scythe's blade cut further through its head. "For you!" she roared, ripping it free. The whole thing had taken less than three seconds, but the Grimm faded, dead.

Its two fellows stared at her – confused and angry.

"Don't look at me like that!" She spun on the spot, speeding up the time around her arms for a brief second so that her scythe spun with force unlike anything else – beheading both with consummate ease. As they fell, she was already moving, dashing westward down the water's edge. "I'll find you, Yang," she whispered, "Don't worry. I'll be there."

Her eyes flickered to life.

"I'll save you, Yang. I'll save you. I'll save you. I'll save you."

/-/

"Hey…" Yang's breath brushed against his neck.

"Hey yourself," he grunted, trudging steadfastly along. Soaked to the bone and exhausted, he kept walking.

"You… You weren't so bad… in the end."

The sudden lucidity from Yang surprised him, though he kept walking rather than stop and deal with it. Maybe she'd just needed a rest or maybe she was phasing in and out of consciousness. Her body was still heavy, her legs no longer supporting her own weight, but he encouraged the moment just in case. Best she was aware of her surroundings. "Thanks. I guess. Neither were you. I thought you were really mean at first, but I guess you were just looking out for Ruby."

"Yeah." Yang laughed. "S-Sorry about that. I mean it, though. When we first met, I wasn't impressed. You were… kinda pathetic. P-People are always in denial. Always trying to hide. But you tried harder, kept refusing to accept help." A groan slipped out of her. "Pissed me off. Dunno if it reminded me of myself. Back when I wanted to pretend none of this was real."

He winced. "Sorry about that."

"S'okay. You… You got better. Gettin' better." She sighed. "You're not bad now."

"Not as strong as you."

"Still lotta time to grow. Maybe. Depends…" Her breath washed over his skin for several seconds before she spoke again. "Everyone starts the same. Weak. Scared. Hurt. I wasn't any different."

"You, scared? Not sure I believe it."

"U-Used to be weak. Got strong. Y-You can, too. What I'm tryin' to say is… sorry, I guess."

"Hey. No problem. You helped me against Cardin. You've saved my life tonight." As far as he was concerned, everything else was water under the bridge. Her anger, he could understand. Her harsh nature in school he finally figured out. None of it mattered to her. School didn't matter. Her posse didn't matter - she never even spoke to them, more they flocked to her while she slept and Yang ignored them, too tired to tell the hangers-on to go away. "We're friends," he decided with a nod. "Friends help one another."

"Yeah…" Yang breathed heavily. "Hey, friend. Will you... do me a favour?"

He nodded. "Anything."

"Look after Ruby for me…"

"What!?" Jaune stumbled as Yang's legs gave way suddenly, dragging him down to the side. He caught himself on one knee and steadied her. "Yang, no. Come on. We're so close!" He shook her gently, trying to shake some life into her. The blood that had flowed out between them spilled free now, the flow too strong to be anything but a major wound. So many blood vessels in the shoulder and collarbone area. Tears prickled at his eyes as he realised just how helpless he was. "Yang…"

"S'not gonna work," she said, slurring slightly. "Y-Y'know that better th'n I do."

"W-We can get to Beacon."

"A-An' then what?" Her face was pale, incredibly so. "D-Die here. Die there. B-But if you keep luggin' me around… both of us gonna die."

"That's a risk I'll take," Jaune said, trying to work an arm under her and lift her up. He hauled with all his might, moving her body just the tiniest bit, but it wasn't enough. He couldn't get her back up on her feet and he collapsed beside her, splashing down into the rainwater. "Yang, please! Try and stand."

Coughing weakly, Yang smiled. "I _did_ try."

Oh…

Oh God…

Oh God, no. Hypovolemic shock. His studies let him identify it easily – for all the help it was. There was nothing he could do. Not a single fucking thing. Yang was dying, and not even from a Grimm. Just some fucking police officer shooting her.

That wasn't fair. It wasn't fair.

"H-Hey," she whispered, laid flat on her back now, rain splattering against her face. "Hey. It's fine. A-Always knew I-I'd die young. A-Always happens… with us… Awakened. S-Seen so many. F-Friends. All gone." Yang laughed weakly. "Fuck, it's cold. W-Would have preferred less rain… when I went. Always hated rain."

Without thinking, without understanding how, he pushed the rain away from her. It curved wildly in the air, avoiding Yang's face.

"There," he wept. "I fixed it."

Yang smiled. "So you did. S-Sorry that it has to happen' like this. S-Should have kept you further away. D-Doesn't hurt as much… if you don't make friends. Sorry."

He pressed his forehead to hers. "I don't regret it."

"You will. Later. Ruby…"

"I'll look after her," he promised. "I'll never let her fall. I'll do everything I can – whatever I have to. I swear to you, Yang, she'll be looked after. Nothing will get in the way of that."

"Thanks." Yang's eyes slid shut. "Look after yerself too, alright?"

"Yeah." He bit back a sob. "I will."

The rain continued to patter down around them, splashing against the concrete on either side but not touching either of them. A small, sphere of dry air that no moisture could penetrate. He knelt there, one hand under Yang's shoulders, the other palm-down on the concrete, his face pressed close to hers, his eyes clenched shut.

"Yang? Yang…?"

It didn't look like she was asleep. People liked to romanticise that. Yang didn't look like she'd finally found rest, didn't look like she was at peace. She looked like a girl who'd died too early – a pale faced young woman with her whole fucking life ahead of her, torn away by rain and grime and blood that soaked down her top.

She looked pathetic. Tragic. Dead.

"Fuck." His body shook. His head came down, pressing against her neck. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. No. NO!"

No pulse. He wasn't sure what he was looking for, hoping for. Denial, a part of him analysed. You were taught the five stages of grief, the things you might have to fact from grieving relatives in a hospital. Even though every part of his training told him she was gone, he _still_ pressed a hand to her neck and hoped to feel something. In the midst of a Nightmare, hope was fleeting.

There was none to be found in her.

"God, Yang, I'm so sorry." If he'd been faster, if he'd found the knives sooner – if that police officer hadn't fired. If she hadn't stopped to help him – if she'd just looked after herself and left him to fend for himself. So many things that could have been different.

 _Bargaining,_ his mind whispered.

"Fuck!" he screamed.

 _Anger_.

Water exploded out in every direction, droplets fired like shrapnel to splash across the boulevard, railing and over into the reservoir. With what protected him gone, the rain came down afresh, seeping into his bones once more and creating a wet shine across Yang's still face.

He wanted to sit there and wait for everything to end.

Except that, if he did, he'd be spitting in her face. Yang was here because she'd stopped to help him, tried to help him – and he'd promised to help Ruby in turn. Standing was the hardest thing he'd ever done. Turning away – walking away – from the girl who lay still on the floor was even harder.

 _I'll come back,_ he promised. _You'll get a funeral. A proper one. I promise._

More promises. More bargaining. Letting the tears flow freely, he splashed away, shoulders slumped and one hand wiping at his face. Beacon shone ahead, but it was still so far away. Still so distant. The howls of the Grimm sounded nearby.

 _Drip – Drip_

The water in the reservoir began to bubble. The rain started to flow upward, drawn _away_ from the ground and back up into the sky. An overwhelming presence settled on him, rooting his feet to the spot.

 _Drip – Drip_

He knew it immediately. Recognised it. Tasted it. Like salt water, brine and blood. Or the latter was his own, welling from his split lip as he rounded on the water. There, beneath the surface in the inky darkness below, two yellow orbs stared back up at him.

"Leviathan…"

The water bubbled harder, louder, hissing and frothing like a kettle close to boil. Steam rose from it as the bright lights came closer, shining far brighter than Beacon's lighthouse. The world shifted, time and space seeming to fold in on itself as up became down and what little he had in his stomach worked its way back up his throat.

He buckled, fell, caught himself, pushed a hand down and stood again. Right as water crashed up over the railing separating the boulevard from the depths, roaring over and covering his legs in salt water. It washed over Yang as well, knocking her onto her side.

"This is your fault, isn't it?" Jaune hissed. "You did this…"

Leviathan stood easily one hundred metres tall and that was only his serpentine neck, which was as thick as a skyscraper. It resembled an eel – though that was the closest he could think to say. The head was all wrong, finned and short-snouted, eyes on either side and yet somehow locked onto him. Bright line shone from it like a spotlight, the beams criss-crossing on his location. Blood poured from his nose as the _beating_ sound in his skull rose to a fever pitch.

"Y-You made this happen. To get me. Yang died because of you."

" **I see you."**

"ANSWER ME!" He swung an arm wide, even as his vision swam and blurred. It felt like his brain was shutting down, melting to goo the longer he was caught in its gaze, yet even so the rage kept him going. "All of this, everything, is just for me? You did this!? _I_ did this? Is this all my fault? I won't believe it. I won't accept it!"

" **I see you."**

"See this," Jaune snarled, bringing the shotgun up.

The two barrels discharged at once with a mighty bark, the force of it knocking him back a step. It was impossible to see whether or where it hit with his vision so blurred, but Leviathan flinched back, and the spotlights were taken off him. Sound, sight and sanity began to return.

Leviathan. Here. In Vale. Even if no one could see it, they would be able to feel the water of the reservoir rising up and flooding into the city, hot as boiling water and sizzling away. They would be able to see the damage Leviathan wrought, even die by it.

Angrily, he threw the empty shotgun up into the monster's face as it turned back to regard him. The eyes shone down once more and rooted him to the spot, but this time it did not speak. Its cavernous maw opened wide, revealing rows upon rows upon rows of teeth, all hooked backwards and leading down to a dark and rancid throat. No tongue, no reasonable biology, just an empty mouth with walls of teeth.

Unarmed, paralysed and spent both physically and emotionally, Jaune splashed down to his knees.

The mouth rushed down towards him.

/-/

There!

Weiss' eyes pierced through the thick clouds and caught a glimmer of the ocean below. Immediately, she closed her arms in and plummeted towards it, the wind rushing past her face and stinging her eyes. Behind her, she could _feel_ the presence of the monster chasing her, as it always did. It fell into a freefalling dive like her, its gargantuan wings pulled in close to its side, its mouth open and ready to snap down on her small, frail body.

Just a little closer. Just a little. The water's surface was rushing towards her.

And there, near the surface, a huge, dark shape that was sitting unnaturally still.

It was all Weiss could do to hope Blake would wake her. She might not, Weiss realised. There was no telling. At the very least, if this failed, she could rest assured that she would die on impact and not be devoured by the monster hunting her.

At the very least, she could die doing some good.

Not being insane, attention seeking, a disappointment to her family.

Closing her eyes, Weiss shut out the world. The air. The ocean. The beast that was closing in behind her, and even the fear of what might happen when she struck the mirror-like surface below her. With a deep breath, she welcomed it.

A hand gripped her shoulder.

Weiss vanished.

The Lord of the Skies _crashed_ into the water's surface.

/-/

Leviathan let loose an ear-piercing screech and its neck rolled to the side, slamming down onto the water front boulevard to the side of him and sending Jaune rolling away from the force of the blast. As he tumbled, he glimpsed the clouds above. The dark clouds had covered the entire sky, giving the late afternoon the darkness of midnight, and yet now they'd parted – as if something had blown them aside from a point of impact, the clouds spiralling out and being dispersed.

He hit the ground hard, rolled and grazed his way across and came to a stop several metres away, gasping for breath. He tried to stand, only to be flattened when another agonised roar cut across Vale.

Water splashed up and rolled onto the boulevard, soaking him. The storm increased in intensity – but began to go wild, if such a thing was possible. Back and forth, east and west, north and south – up and then down. The wind changed direction so suddenly and so randomly that he was thrown about as if someone had taken the boulevard in hand and shaken it.

Rolling over, he forced himself onto his back, staring wide-eyed at Leviathan as it rolled back into the Quabbin Reservoir, thrashing wildly, snapping at the air with its great maw, lashing out with its neck, swinging the giant head like a club.

It recoiled suddenly, falling back and crashing into the water, creating a miniature tidal wave that rushed up and over the railings, flattened him to the ground and even smashed through a nearby shop window, causing the alarm to squeal over and over again. As the water was drawn back, it threatened to take him with it. Rolling back over, he scrabbled for purchase and found it in the railing his feet nearly slipped through. Slamming both feet down, he kept himself steady.

Yang's body slipped by, tugged in the water draining rapidly away. She was going to vanish into the reservoir, never to be seen again.

"No!"

He lunged for it, caught Yang by the hand and was dragged off the railing and down into he reservoir. She was dead, gone, and yet he held onto her tight and refused to let go. In the water, her golden hair spread out, the strands sticking to the skin of his neck and chest.

The water was dark, inky, and unlike in his dreams, not breathable. Bubbles escaped him as he kicked up towards the surface, visible only because Beacon's lighthouse flashed over it every few seconds, completing another spin in its tower.

As he approached the surface, the water turned a sickly red. Blood. Blood in the water. He thought it Yang's at first, but she had so little in her and certainly not this much. The blood was everywhere, seeping into his clothes and hair, blinding him in a red misty haze.

 _Drip – Drip_

Leviathan's blood. It had to be. Whatever had happened, Leviathan was in pain, struggling with something. It was the only reason he was alive, even now, in its domain where it could so easily kill him. He could _feel_ it on the edge of his vision, a heavy pressure that threatened to crush his lungs. And sometimes he felt it physically, too, its violent thrashing causing a shift in the current that knocked him left or right.

And then, without warning, it ended.

The violent current and waves ceased. The darkness above the water faded. The reservoir became clearer, bluer, fresher. The taste of salt was there but fading. Faded. Light pierced down and cast ripples across his face as the water calmed.

The surface was so close, so damn close. He reached for it, even as Yang, exhaustion and lack of oxygen dragged him back down.

A hand burst down through it and grasped his.

Air rushed over him as he was hauled out by a strong pair of hands. One on his, the other on the back of his collar. He and Yang were both dragged out and onto the side, where Jaune fell and spluttered for air, Yang's body still clung to his, her face pressed into the crook of his neck, her hair plastered against his face.

"Mr Arc!" Ozpin yelled, all concern. He was drenched – both in water and in blood. "Mr Arc, are you okay?"

"Leviathan…"

"I saw it. I saw him." Ozpin's eyes slid lower, to the girl in his arms. "Is Yang-?"

"I'm sorry. I-I'm so sorry. I couldn't…"

"Yet another." Ozpin sounded old, worn. "Yet another stolen from us so soon. What cruel torture. I came the moment I saw Leviathan crest the water. I am sorry I was not faster."

Jaune shook his head, too tired to cry anymore. "She died before that. You couldn't have done anything." Not with all the blood loss and then the shock. "No one could have done anything to save her. Maybe if the Nightmare hadn't happened, if we could have reached a hospital…"

"Then this fault lays with the Grimm."

No.

Leviathan had come for him. Threatened to breach the boundary for him. Torn Vale into a Nightmare to get to him. Killed Yang... because of him. And time and time again, he'd run. Always running. Always looking out for himself, for his own life. Even forcing Yang to come and help him, and to die doing so. Ozpin was right when he said the Grimm caused this, but they'd caused it to get to him. The fault was his. All his.

"I'm done running..."

* * *

 **Yep. Short chapter is short. Sorry. Still, it got out what I wanted to get out. And sadly, yes, Yang has fallen. Not a story designed to be a tragedy, but tragic in itself. The premise doesn't really allow for the happy-go-lucky fun times. Or shouldn't.**

 **I thought of including Ruby's reaction on the end here but decided against it. In the end, it felt like the reactions and fallout deserved to have a chapter of their own – rather than dilute this one. This chapter for the actions, next for the reactions.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 3** **rd** **February**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	19. Chapter 19

**Well, that's quite the set of reactions to Yang's death. Not unexpected, but some took it far harder than others. Just to clarify my comment, I did not say "Death has to happen because this isn't a fairy tale story". What I said was that the premise didn't allow for the happy-go-lucky type of story. I.e. You probably don't write a Cthulhu-mythos supernatural horror-style story and have everyone be happy, escaping trouble and playing pranks on one another.**

 **If someone isn't going insane and others aren't being taken and or killed by eldritch creatures, it's not really fitting the style. And, sadly, Yang's death was planned from the start. In a way, she becomes the Pyrrha of this story, giving Jaune his motivation to fight at the expense of something precious to him, while Pyrrha gets to live.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 19**

* * *

Tropical hurricane. Climate change. Chinese weapons. The theories came thick and fast across the entire US, played through the TV in the corner of Ozpin's bar. The Beacon was silent; in mourning, in shock, in rage. A Nightmare had struck in the day, and, in such an unfair twist, the night was a peaceful one.

No one was sure why, least of all Jaune.

Maybe that was just how it was – the boundary becoming stronger after a Nightmare passed, enough so as to keep the Grimm numbers low even after dark. Maybe the Grimm were exhausted from the earlier attack and didn't want to push further. Maybe, just maybe, it was something else entirely.

He couldn't bring himself to care.

A glass of some alcoholic drink clinked down on the table in front of him, followed by another. The chair opposite scraped back as Ozpin sat. His face was worn and old, drawn back by lines from his eyes. He removed his glasses, pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a quiet sigh.

Jaune felt no better and took a drink. Vodka and something. Hard to taste the soft drink past the liberal dose of vodka. It burned its way down his throat. They said people drank to forget. Maybe that was something he could try.

"Thank you for treating what injuries you can. I know it can't have been easy."

"It was our deal." Another gulp. More fire. "Some of them will need the hospital, though. Too many serious wounds and I'm low on supplies."

"I'll have someone procure more. As for the hospital, I've already sent them. The Nightmare provides some excuses at the very least; I told them to suggest they were injured by looters taking advantage of the hurricane."

"Looters, huh?" Just like that officer had thought. Jaune's hand tightened on the glass. The liquid inside swirled angrily, almost of its own volition.

 _Drip – Drip_

"The Dreamers will make what excuses they must. Meanwhile, we do what we must."

"Why did it happen?"

"I do not know." Ozpin sighed. "Nightmares have never happened during the day. Not once in all my time as an Awakened, and that is a good thirty-five years now. I'm not sure if it's the barrier weakening that has allowed it, or if this was some special case."

"You saw the Leviathan?"

"The creature in the reservoir? Yes, I saw it. I'm not sure any Awakened could have missed it. You know what it is?"

"It's the creature that is hunting me."

"Ah."

"It's because of me that it came here at all."

"You do not know that." Ozpin placed a hand on his arm. "Do not be so arrogant as to place blame for a tragedy on your hands. If not you, he would have hunted another."

" _Another_ might not have kept running all this time. _Another_ might not have dragged down Yang with him."

"Another might have fallen already… and ushered in the end of Vale. Sometimes, survival is all we can hope for. Sometimes, not everyone survives." Ozpin trailed off for a moment. "I knew Yang since she was a small child. Ten years old she was when she came to me, broken, bloodstained and carrying a small child in her arms. Her parents had been killed. Her mother was an Awakened; the Grimm came for her and, in doing so, caused the two young children to Awaken. They would have died if not for their father forcing himself to do the same."

"Forcing…?"

"There is little as special in this world as the love a parent has for their child. You may have heard stories of people moving incredible weights or showing inhuman levels of endurance to protect someone they love. According to Yang, their father could not see what was hurting them at first, but through sheer concern alone _forced_ himself to accept the reality of it. He Awakened, attacked the Grimm and bought them time to escape. What little time he could."

"Their parents died."

"Yes. And the children fled. Ruby was badly hurt, grievously so, but Yang carried her across the entire city, following the light from my lighthouse. I found them beset by Grimm, rescued them, brought them here and raised them as my own."

Jaune's head fell. "I-I'm sorry…"

"Do not be. Not for Yang's death. She would not wish it that way, nor accept your blame. If anything, I think she would be quite disturbed at your behaviour, though not without some understanding." Ozpin chuckled weakly. "She'd slap you around for sure. That's just the kind of girl she was."

"Y-Yeah."

Ozpin raised his glass. "To Yang."

"To Yang." Jaune echoed, drinking. Finished, he slammed the glass down. "She asked me to look after Ruby. Made me promise. Where is she?"

"She has not returned."

Jaune was already on his feet when Ozpin's hand snagged his. "Don't. Ruby is capable of protecting herself."

"Unless she's already hurt."

"She isn't. Her phone patches through; it is that she refuses to answer it. After repeated calls, she turned it off. The Grimm do not do that. A grieving young woman who wishes nothing more than to be alone might."

"If she's grieving…"

"All the more reason to give her space, especially now. If she does not return by tomorrow, I will leave to find her myself. But right now, she will run if we push her. That could place her in yet more danger. With her abilities, it would be impossible for us to catch her if she did not wish to be caught."

"I can't just leave her…"

"Then don't." Ozpin tugged again, forcing him back into his seat. "Call her, leave a message, send texts. Let her know that you will be there for her and that she is not the only one who grieves. I have done the same, as have others."

"Right." He slumped in his seat, letting Ozpin know he could let go. "You're right. I… I guess I wasn't thinking straight."

"No one can blame you. I'm certainly not at my best either." Ozpin patted his arm once more and slowly stood. "You're not alone in this, Mr Arc. I just wanted to tell you that."

"Thank you."

Jaune waited for Ozpin to leave before turning back to his own thoughts. The words were kind and well meant, but Ozpin didn't realise just how much he _was_ at fault for all of this. Yang was only there because she'd tried to help him. If he hadn't been a part of the picture, she could have gone on ahead and reached safety.

And Leviathan. He just _knew_ that the Nightmare only began because of Leviathan.

His phone buzzed again. Numerous messages; some from his parents, from Ren and Nora and even his sisters who had all heard and seen the news. Each had received a blunt ` _I'm fine_ ` and little more, but now there was a new message atop the others. A message from Blake.

" _Are you ready to face the reality of what is happening? Or are you still prey?"_

Scowling, he typed back `I'm ready`.

" _We'll see."_

A beep and an attachment, a map opening, showing a bridge by the waterfront and the best route to reach it. It wasn't far, only ten minutes away by foot.

" _Meet me here. It's time we talked."_

`I'll be there`.

/-/

The storm had dissipated but the rain still pelted down, albeit without the unnatural changes that had blanketed the city before. Already, cars and people were beginning to come back out, though sirens wailed across the city as ambulances responded to accidents and police to break-ins. A fair few bodies would be found before the night was over. Thankfully, Yang's wouldn't be among them. At least not yet. She would get a proper send off from the hunters, and only once Ruby returned.

Jaune trekked through the rain with his coat drawn tight around him and Yang's knife strapped to his hip. Not the paltry kitchen knife they'd stolen from the store, but her actual one – which had the length of a small machete and a wickedly sharp blade. Ozpin had granted it to him for protection, though considering how quiet the Grimm were being after the Nightmare ended, it felt like it wouldn't be needed. It was night already and he hadn't crossed so much as a mist-form Grimm.

He did pass several accidents, however. Cars that had crashed in the storm, trees that had fallen and smashed through buildings and storefronts. Even a boat that had been swept up out of the reservoir and dumped in the middle of the road. A fire crew were busy trying to move that, with the road itself closed.

Keeping his head down and his hands in his pockets, he walked past them all, past the gawking spectators and people taking pictures of the carnage, no doubt desperate for the best Twitter pictures and as many retweets as possible.

Pathetic.

Had he ever been like that?

Probably.

No longer.

Exhausted mentally and physically, Jaune paused as he came upon the bridge Blake had asked him to meet her on. It wasn't a huge thing, more a road and path across a part of the reservoir which cut a little into Vale. The road itself was closed and, with the rain, no one wanted to do much walking. There was a single figure at the edge of the bridge, leaning against the iron rails. Hooded. Waiting.

 _Drip – Drip_

With a sigh, he made his way up the path onto the bridge, paused to look over the railing down into the reservoir, and continued only when he convinced himself there were no eyes in the depths. The water was still, apart from the rain which plinked down across its surface.

"Blake," he greeted as he came upon her. She wore a rain hood to cover her ears and hair, but her eyes glinted unnaturally from beneath.

"Jaune." The Grimm in human form took a moment to look around him, likely to see if anyone had come with him. "You came on your own?" She sniffed. "You're different. I can smell the Leviathan on you."

"Cut the shit, Blake. You know he was here."

"Hm. Alright. I knew. I knew he was here and that he would come for you."

"How long?" he snapped. "How long did you know?"

"That the Leviathan would hunt you? From the start – but don't pretend I didn't tell you, Jaune. I warned you he would continue to hunt you. I warned you that this would happen. You simply weren't willing to hear it."

"Yang is dead."

"I'm sorry." There was not a hint of sympathy in her tone.

"Don't," he hissed, eyes flashing. "Don't pretend."

"My apologies." This time, at least, she seemed sincere. "It's difficult to feel anything for a human, let alone one I never met. Regardless, your problems are greater than one dead friend."

"Watch it, Blake."

"I _am_ watching things, Jaune. I am watching things with such intensity that I have saved your life numerous times – along with the lives of all your friends. Do you think Leviathan left of his own volition? Did you think it something _you_ did?"

He scowled. "No."

"Exactly! I am responsible for his departure, I am responsible for you yet drawing breath, and with every move I make, I place my life in _both worlds_ in danger. Do not seek to lecture me when you are the one hiding from the truth."

"Fine." He yelled. "Fine. I'm not hiding anymore, so tell me. No more games, Blake. I want the truth."

She crossed her arms and studied him. "Can you handle it?"

"We'll find out."

"Yes. I suppose we shall. Very well. Ask your questions."

"Leviathan," he said. "It came for me. Did… Was the Nightmare that happened caused by it? Was all of this a direct result of it trying to get to me?"

"Yes." Blake held no punches. "It was all for you."

Fuck. Jaune staggered back, the railing digging into his hips and supporting him. The rain continued to fall around them, splashing cold water against his face. It didn't do enough to hide his pain. All of this. He'd known, intellectually speaking, or at least suspected, but a part of him had hoped nonetheless that Blake would say no. That this was all a tragic accident and the Leviathan had just been dragged into it like so many other Grimm.

But no. It had come for him. It had done this.

This – Yang – was all his fault.

"Fuck…" His teeth ground together. "Fuck, fuck, fuck."

"Don't tell me you're breaking apart already. I thought you said you were ready for this."

"I-" He wasn't. He wasn't ready at all. But then, Leviathan wasn't going to wait for him to prepare. "I'm fine. Just angry. Pissed. How did he-?" He sighed. "I used some of Leviathan's powers at school." On Cardin. "Is that what caused it?"

"No."

Relief. Raw and painful.

"Leviathan came for you, but the use of his powers would not have caused it. That you can use them at all is simply evidence of how close he was to breaking through. It's a side-effect, not the cause. The decision to come through, the action of breaking through, was initiated solely on his side. Your fault, if that word applies, is in still being alive and in a major population centre."

His eyes snapped up. "You think I should leave? Go into the wilderness?"

"I think it would make no difference. He'd still kill you, then take over your body and walk back. At best, you would buy Vale a month or two. Depends on how far you travel. But Leviathan has an ally here, this Rebecca. She could provide him transport back to the city."

"He wants my body."

"Yes."

"Then…" His hands tightened on the railings. "If I were to die…"

"Your death would solve things in the short term," Blake said with an alarming amount of candour. "In fact, I considered killing you myself once or twice, particularly when we first met. It would have been easy to snap your neck and end this."

He shivered but held his ground. "Why didn't you? Sentimentality?"

"Not quite. I saw a use for you. Killing you would delay Leviathan, but his mate would simply lure someone else into his ocean. You are his first target, but there are thousands more who could be put in the same situation. Long-term, she would simply find a replacement. But, by letting you live, I could use you to draw her out."

Of course. What else had he expected from a Grimm? Blake didn't care about him other than a means to an end. Strangely, he didn't feel too bothered by that. It made things easier to understand. Ensured they were on the same level.

"What happens now?" he asked.

"Now? Well, that depends. Killing you would not solve much, but I feel it should be said. If you feel your control slipping. If it feels as though he is taking control." The woman shrugged. "A short-term solution might be your best option."

Jaune let out a long breath. "Kill myself?"

"You would need it to be absolute lest Leviathan survive in your body. Slit your throat, pierce your brain, heart or even shoot yourself." Blake brought a black shape out from under her coat, making him tense. "One shot to the head should be enough."

Slowly, hesitantly, he took the gun from her. It was heavy, emotionally as well as physically. The weight of responsibility. Inevitability.

"This won't solve anything in the long run…"

"No."

"Dealing with Rebecca would?"

Blake hesitated to answer.

"Just tell me, Blake."

"Dealing with Rebecca would prevent her from placing another human in Leviathan's way. At least until someone crossed over to her side of their own choice. A rare occurrence. It would not stop you already being in Leviathan's territory, however."

"Meaning that once she's dead, you kill me. And then Leviathan doesn't have a way into this world. That was your plan, wasn't it?"

"Yes."

"Ha." The laugh was bitter, morbid. "Right. Well, that should keep Vale safe for a while. It won't stop the boundary being weakened though, will it?"

"It won't – but without any Grimm pushing on it, it should be able to repair on its own. Our worlds must have existed for hundreds of thousands of years without issue. It's only within the last few centuries that things have changed. Likely due to interference. Looking through your history, it looks like the old civilisations were a lot more cautious when it came to our kind. They believed, but also had rituals and folklore that taught them how to avoid drawing our attention."

"And nowadays, we call that superstitious nonsense. Wonderful." In the end, it didn't matter. "Rebecca, then. I'm ready to end this, Blake, however that means doing it. We find her, kill her… and then we end it. Is that right?"

"It is." Blake watched him for a moment. "For what it's worth, I do wish it could end some other way. Leviathan is too dangerous to risk it."

"I understand. You'll stay, I guess? Will you look after Vale?"

"It will be my territory. I shall defend it."

"Good enough. Can you hunt Rebecca down with your nose?"

"Not until this rain ceases. There's so much salt in it that it's overpowering. I could barely make out your approach, let alone find her if she's hiding somewhere in the city. I-" Blake cut off with a gasp. Her eyes widened, flicking down to her chest.

A large patch of red blossomed across her skin, originating from the sharp, metal spike that had been driven through her back and out of her chest, just below her neck.

 _Drip - Drip_

"Hiding?" a feminine voice asked. "Oh, but I wouldn't say I'm hiding…" With a sickening _squelch_ , the spike was torn out of Blake's back, splashing blood on the floor. Blake fell forwards, her body only having been held up right because of the person behind her.

Jaune caught her. "Blake! No!"

"Oh. Was she something to you, Jaune?" Miss Rebecca Farleigh stood on the bridge where Blake had stood, rain running down her perfect face. Dressed in a casual knee-length skirt and black jacket, she looked like any woman out for a walk. If not for the iron spike in her hand, some kind of giant industrial nail, that was soaked with blood. She let it fall with a loud clang. "I'm sorry if that was the case, but she hurt a friend of mine as well, you see. She interfered in affairs that were none of her business."

Blake gasped in his arms. "R-Run…"

"Yes. By all means, run. Run and run until you can run no longer."

Jaune's hand slipped into his pocket. Touching the weapon Blake had given him, he gripped it tightly and flicked the safety off, using her body to hide the action. "Or what?"

"Or?" Rebecca laughed. "Oh, Jaune. Let's not pretend to be something you're not. You will run. It's what you've always done. What your kind does. They flee like prey, hide away and do what they can to survive and only ever that. It's why I gave you such care before. You were so eager to do what I said. So willing. Ah. I even tried to give you a little pleasure before the end." Licking her lips, she tilted her head to the side and bit her lip. "I could do that again if you wish. Give in to me and I will ensure you do not leave this world a virgin at the very least."

"Tempting offer."

"It is, isn't it? It's the best you'll get."

"I've got a counter-offer."

"Oh?"

He dragged the gun out while she was speaking, brought it around and aimed directly for her chest. His finger pulled the trigger.

Fire. Burning. The gun was suddenly a hundred degrees or more and his skin was burning away. He gasped and dropped it, the shot going high, just over her shoulder. The gun fell to the floor and sizzled on the asphalt. Waving her hand, Rebecca somehow sent it flying away.

"This is new. _Her_ influence, no doubt." Rebecca sneered at Blake. "But to attack me during the night is to fight me when my powers are at their zenith. Foolish. I taught you better, Jaune."

"Fuck you!" Yang's weapon came out and swung towards her.

Rebecca caught it by the blade. Her blood ran down the metal and over his hand, but she held it still and watched him with amused eyes. "Fighting? All of a sudden? Where was this when Mr Winchester tore chunks from your flesh? Where was this spirit?"

"You killed Yang!"

"Miss Xiao-Long? Hm. I had a feeling. Sleeping all day; the obvious signs of an Awakened. Did she at least give her soul for a purpose in bringing one of us over, or did she die a pointless death?" Rebecca crooned as his eyes blazed. "The latter, I see."

Her fingers suddenly tightened, shattering Yang's blade and throwing it away. Her hand caught him by the neck and lifted him lifted him up and away from Blake, who was already struggling to breathe. Blood bubbled from her chest, evidence that her lungs had been hit.

"The little feline should know not to interfere with the hunt of true predators. Know your place, cat."

Blake somehow managed a coy smile, even past the blood. "Failed again? Incredible that you've existed in this plane so long and achieved so little."

The smile was torn from Rebecca's face. "And there goes my patience." Fire gathered around her, burning his neck but not actually touching him. It swept down Rebecca's free arm and coalesced across her hand. She pointed it towards Blake. "Goodbye, meddler."

"NO!"

Blake remained silent. She tilted her head back and stared proudly at Rebecca as the flames claimed her. Consumed her. Flesh, muscle and bone melted away as the inhuman, superheated fire burned her to a crisp.

Not once did she scream. Not once did she break eye contact.

At least until those eyes were no more.

All that remained was a charred corpse.

"B-Blake…"

Gone.

Just like that.

Just like Yang.

"Such is the fate of all those who stick their noses where they don't belong. Oh. Are you crying, Jaune? Did you care for her? Did you _love_ her? I can assure you she did not feel the same for you. You're just a human at the end of the day."

She hadn't cared, not genuinely, but at the same time, she'd tried her best to help.

"I'll kill you."

"Hm?" Rebecca looked to him curiously. An inhuman look came to her eye as fire swirled around the hand holding him. "Is that so? My offer of a pleasant end goes ignored, then? I thought as much. Killing you would be simple but fear not. You still have a part to play."

Her other hand found his throat. Suspended in the, she choked the life from him, both hands crushing his windpipe. She stepped forward, towards the edge of the bridge, all the while his legs kicked. A few people had seen by now and were shouting out for her to stop – for all that it mattered. She could kill them with ease.

"It's time for you to sleep, Jaune. Sleep and be reborn."

With a final smile, she held him out over the railing and suspended above the reservoir. Her hands tightened one final time, cutting off the last of his oxygen. His legs went limp. Rebecca let go. The last thing he saw as he plummeted down was her smile. The last thing he felt was his back striking the freezing-cold water.

And then, suddenly, he was in an ocean.

 _Drip – Splash_

" **I see you."**

Eyes. Yellow eyes, approaching from the dark.

"Yeah." Jaune growled back, steadying himself in the water. As always, breathing was no issue, but for the first time he could feel the currents, feel the water itself – and also feel it responding to his movements.

Curling one hand into a fist, he felt the water swirl about it.

"I see you, too."

Yang, Blake, Ruby. His family. Everyone. Even the real Rebecca Farleigh who had died so long ago at the hands of Leviathan's mate. So many more who had died in the Nightmare, torn apart by Grimm or just left to die from the wind, rain or other accidents. All because of this. Because of Leviathan.

Jaune's eyes met the Leviathan's as it approached, cutting through the water with an eel-like body some several thousand metres long. His _real_ body would be in the reservoir, sinking – or floating. Depended on his lungs. Perhaps Leviathan would be able to breathe the water once he inhabited it. Perhaps not. Either way, he wouldn't be alive to find out if he died here.

 _Flee, run, swim, escape._

He held his ground.

 _I can't run. Not from this. It will hunt me forever. Until the day I die. And untold others will die along the way, just like Yang did. If I keep running, nothing changes._ But if he stayed… what could he do? How could he be expected to face this?

 _Humans really are prey. That's all we'll ever be._

"But I promised to look after Ruby. I swore."

" **I see you,"** it repeated, turning its spotlight-like eyes onto him.

Rather than be paralysed by the force of them, Jaune swept a hand to the side and _willed_ himself to move. The ocean responded, the current shifting suddenly and _dragging_ him to the side, out of the way. Like a dolphin cutting through the water, he was swept away.

Leviathan's fury cut through the ocean in an angry roar.

" **No escape. Nowhere to hide."**

"Hiding? Who says anything about hiding? For everything you've done, I'm going to kill you."

Or die trying.

 _Drip – Drip_

The water shimmered.

 _Drip - Drip_

 _Drip - Drip_

And then, a distant sound.

 _Tick - Tock_

 _Tick - Tock_

 _Bong_

 _Bong_

* * *

 **Shorter chapter. Just been dragged out today with family. Was supposed to be going for a meal for an hour. Was stuck there for four. I know there was a short chapter last Sunday as well, but don't worry, these are unrelated and I am not trying to cut the length of Sunday stories in any way. Just bad luck to have my pupper hurt herself last week and then family drag something on this week, even though they knew I was busy.**

 **On the chapter, Blake has fallen and Rebecca has finally pushed the issue, forcing Jaune into a confrontation with Leviathan that he cannot escape from.**

 **All or nothing. With his body on the line.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 10** **th** **February**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	20. Chapter 20

**Here we are and here we go.**

 **Here comes a very long fight scene xD**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 20**

* * *

The distant tolling of some monolithic bell tower cut through the ocean, causing the water to vibrate and resonate with its timbre. The sound echoed in Jaune's head; louder than even the incessant dripping of the ocean itself or the furious roar of Leviathan.

Ask not for whom the bell tolls.

Leviathan roared again and lunged through the water for him – a veritable wall of scales, muscle and teeth the likes of which he'd never seen before.

Jaune ran – swam – for it.

It wasn't real swimming, not in a sense. It was more like pushing the water behind him, using it to push and drag him along at the same time as he shot down deeper into the ocean. He knew Leviathan was on his tail; he could feel him. The two of them were connected in a way he'd never fully understood and still didn't, but he knew that just as Leviathan could use that connection to locate him, so could he too in a way.

Not an instinctive thing. More a… feeling. An itch in the back of his head or the incessant dripping of a faucet not quite closed all the way.

 _I said I'd kill him but how do I kill something so big? Even if I had a weapon, that thing's scales and muscle must be several metres deep. I'd need high explosives to even get close to reaching any vital organs._

Assuming it had any. There was no saying for sure.

Fight it from inside? Not a chance. TV, anime and movies might have been all for the getting swallowed and killing it from within trope, but the reality was far different. He'd suffocate in there, not to mention he wouldn't be able to see a damn thing and there was no telling just how strong Leviathan's stomach acid was, or that it wouldn't have some other way to devour him. The rows on rows of teeth might continue down its throat, too, shredding him to bits.

He continued to dive down through the water, streaming left and right to avoid the spotlight beams of its glowing yellow eyes that cut through the mist. They were an attack of their own, searing his skin, making his muscles lock up and his bran rattle – like a small fish caught in a sonar blast from a whale.

The beams of light had another benefit though, lighting up the area ahead of him. The seabed was approaching, or at least a mountainous region of the deep with a dark crevasse leading down and several ridges covered in spiny rock.

He dove down into them, into the dark.

Leviathan crashed into the small opening behind him. Turning, Jaune watched as the gargantuan beast struggled to fit in the narrow chasm. Narrow by Leviathan's definition anyway. In reality, it must have been a good fifty metres between each side.

 _This might buy me time, but do I have time? Last I checked, I was drowning in the Quabbin Reservoir._

He wasn't going to `wake up` from this. The only person who he knew he was down there was Blake, who was dead. Considering the storm and all the rescue operations going on, no one would be sifting through the water for bodies. They'd be too busy focusing on the people who _could_ be saved. The injured and those hurt in car accidents.

Above, Leviathan roared again and began to slam its giant head against the cliff walls, breaking huge chunks of rock loose that tumbled slowly down into the abyss, trailing pillars of sand, sediment and silt behind them. Leviathan snapped towards him but was nowhere near making it. The beast hissed and thrashed, widening the chasm a little more.

It would get in eventually, but the brief moment gave him a chance to collect himself and think. He could move through the water but doubted he could escape it forever. He knew he couldn't _leave_ the water because he'd tried that the last time. Leviathan was keeping him trapped in here.

Killing it really was the only option, but the question was how. He needed a weapon.

Another crack heralded more boulders drifting down towards him – fast but slowed by the water and so falling lazily enough for him to drift out of the way. As it slipped by, Jaune paused and held out his hand towards it.

It was heavy. Very heavy. Even willing the water to help him, the large chunk of rock took a few seconds to slow its descent and then several more to come to a stop below him, caught in swirling currents that were now holding it suspended. Lifting his hand, he was rewarded with the boulder slowly moving back upwards, imitating his hand motion.

"Hmm. That worked."

Leviathan was crashing down again, pulling back enough to get a proverbial run up and then slamming back down into the crevasse, widening it. More boulders were raining down and Jaune caught another with his other hand, or rather caught it on water with his hand extended out in its direction.

Using the current to spin him like a discus-thrower might, he whirled in space and _hurled_ his empty hand up towards Leviathan, opening his fingers as he did and `letting go` mentally.

The first boulder shot upwards.

Leviathan saw it and bit down, snapping it in two and then crunching it into bits without taking any damage – but the attack _had_ worked. In a way. It just hadn't hit.

 _I can work with this. As long as I can do something._

Catching another rock, Jaune held up his right hand, gripping the second he'd taken. He held his hand up, loosely gripping some imaginary object, and watched as the boulder rose. It was easily five times the size of him, but then he didn't have to deal with its weight, so it didn't matter. Watching it, he _clenched_ his first as hard as he could. The boulder cracked and crumbled, turning into ten or fifteen smaller rocks. All of them were still held by the power he was stealing.

Perfect. He repeated the process quickly with the other, shattering the boulder and bringing forth a cloud of dust that concealed him from view. With both hands held out to his side, he looked up to where he could both hear and feel Leviathan, and brought both of his palms forward, as if he were imitating some energy attack from a Shonen anime.

There was no ki blast, no spirit bomb, but the medium-sized chunks of rock surged forward nonetheless, cutting up through the water like miniature torpedoes. Some impacted falling rocks and were destroyed, but more made it through – more than Leviathan had expected and more than he could bite through in one go.

The great beast reeled back as the barrage struck. Rock exploded across its face, chipping and shattering on its huge, silvery scales. A few came close to its eye – close though that he thought it might hit – but something misty swept over the eye, protecting it from harm. He could only tell it had because the bright spotlights of its eyesight dimmed when it happened, a moment before the rocks hit.

A nictitating membrane. A third eyelid, usually one that came across horizontally, from the corner of the eye. More common in birds and reptiles, but some sharks had them, and Leviathan certainly crossed the line between sea predator and reptile.

At the very least, the cloud and dust kicked up by the impact gave Jaune a chance to flee from his rapidly crumbling refuge. He swept up past Leviathan, so close to tis head that he could see the interlocking scales glinting like steel. It looked coarse to the touch up close, like scale mail armour, whereas from a distance Leviathan's skin appeared smooth and sleek.

Its head followed him as he swam by, sensing him through its connection more than sight or sound. It coiled in on itself like a snake and lunged after him, propelling itself through the water on a combination of its undulating tail but also the same power he was using to move. There was no way something so obscenely large and heavy could move so easily without manipulating the currents to its advantage.

 _I need more cover. More to work with._

This time, Leviathan didn't provide him a handy spotlight – knowing that if it did, he might throw more rocks back to stop it. Could he use the power to stop Leviathan's movement? Unlikely. If he could, Leviathan could as well and would have done so by now.

There! Ahead, in what looked to be a gentle sloping valley leading downward, there was what might have at first glance appeared to be a village of some kind. It wasn't; little more than rock formations that from a distance looked like buildings. It was like a coral reef, except devoid of life. Bare, bleached rock as far as the eye could see, but rough, uneven and making towering spires.

He felt Leviathan just behind him. Felt the current shift back as it opened its giant mouth and water _flooded_ in, drawing him with it.

 _BONG!_

 _BONG!_

The bell tolled again. Waves ripped through the water, vibrations of sound shimmering across his skin and also Leviathan's. The great beast ceased its pursuit of him for a moment and glanced away, into the murky distance. Jaune used the opportunity to swim down and hide in the coral reef, scurrying under a rock like a small fish hiding in coral from a shark or moral eel.

Leviathan seemed hesitant to destroy everything – likely because it might crush and kill its prey before _he_ could. Instead, the beast rumbled deep in its cavernous body and opened its nictitating membrane once more, shining its bright, spotlight eyes on the ocean's floor. The beams swept across the space in front of Jaune's hiding spot and away.

Pausing to take a breath – metaphorically speaking – Jaune pressed his back against the rock face and tried to still his wildly beating heart.

" **I see you."**

 _Like hell you do,_ he thought, watching the pillars of light drift away and inspect a large collection of boulders. More likely, Leviathan was hoping to scare him out of hiding and into its jaws. Either way, it wouldn't do to hide here forever. Sooner or later, Leviathan would find him.

Reaching out, Jaune looked for any rocks small and sharp enough to use. If Leviathan had brought down the membrane over its eyes once more, that meant he was vulnerable. Slowly, he began to drag suitable rocks across the seabed, making them roll and drag through the sand towards his hiding spot.

A loud sound from Leviathan heralded its eyes turning suddenly to the side, lighting up one of the boulders he'd been working with. He'd sensed the movement. Panicked, Jaune dragged it harder, making it shoot across the ocean floor towards his hiding spot, giving himself away at the same time.

Leviathan roared victoriously and surged down, slamming its scaled body into the floor and then shooting along it towards his alcove. It crashed into the ledge, wedged itself there and then began to shake to loosen the rock and get in deeper.

As it did, one of its eyes fixed on Jaune – the beam of light striking him like a sledgehammer and nearly liquefying his insides.

" **I see you."**

"SEE THIS!" Jaune roared, thrusting his hand out.

All the rocks he'd collected – some small, some big – lashed out suddenly, kicking up from where they'd buried themselves in the sand. So close and so sudden, they slammed into Leviathan's golden eye, cutting off the beam immediately. Thick white ichor burst from its ruptured eye, streaming through the water and making Leviathan _shriek_ in fury and pain.

The great monster pulled its head back out and flailed wildly. Its tail – several hundred metres long – whipped around and _cut_ straight through the rock above Jaune's head, shearing it in two and causing his entire hiding place to come crumbling down. Leviathan didn't care now. Injured and lashing out, it would kill him however it had to.

Dodging rocks, boulders and the tail as it came back through, Jaune swam out of the area and a safe distance away. Or as safe as could be. Floating twenty metres or so above the seabed, he watched as the huge beast, which till took up almost all his vision, writhed and flailed in agony. It was doubtful anyone or anything had ever harmed it before.

"That was for making my life hell…"

Leviathan let out its loudest roar yet, shaking the entire ocean itself and causing water to bubble and hiss around him.

It shot for him like a rocket.

He slipped aside of its mouth but was caught off guard by its body, which slammed into his side when it undulated and swam by him. The hit – glancing as it was – was still enough to rattle his bones and nearly make him pass out.

He saw the tail coming as Leviathan's gargantuan body passed him by, but he couldn't move. It slapped into him with an almighty _crack_ and a flash of light. There was no sensation of flying or being sent away. Rather, he was there one moment and then crashing down onto the sea floor the next. It felt like every bone in his body was broken, his spine included.

 _B-But my body isn't in this world. J-Just my soul._ He heard Leviathan come around for another attack and tried to push himself up. _This isn't real, Jaune. This pain, the feeling of being broken, it's impossible when I don't have bones in the first place. Just as I don't need to breathe because I don't have lungs._

Damage to the soul, or whatever it was, still felt like taking real damage, but the weakness, the paralysis, was something born of the human mind. The surety of knowledge that made you accept it as fact – just like the Dreamers would walk by the Grimm and never see them.

If you believed hard enough, things weren't real.

Jaune forced himself to believe that this body was spectral, fake, an approximation put together by his psyche in a world that wasn't his own.

Which meant… which meant that size didn't matter.

Weight didn't matter.

He had no weight, no form, other than what he allowed himself. What he believed. As Leviathan's tail came swinging in for another attack, Jaune dug his non-existent feet into the ground and held out his hands.

"I'm as strong as you are!"

The tail _smashed_ into his body, bypassing his arms entirely. It hurt. God, it hurt. But he dug his feet in and was only pushed back several metres by the impact. Latching his arms onto the thing – it was easily bigger than him, but if weight wasn't real than neither was grip – Jaune dragged the limb up over his shoulder and _flipped_ the Leviathan over him.

The great serpent crashed into an underwater mountain with a dull thump, crashing through its side and devastating it in its entirety. Having let go of the tail, it coiled up above the monster's head, flicking through the water as Leviathan tried to break free.

 _I – I did it. It worked._

This wasn't his body; this was his soul trapped in another world. Just as the Grimm in his wouldn't die when organs were pierced, nor would he. The pain stuck, continued to hurt, but the broken bones? They didn't exist. Never had.

Course, if it bit him in half, he'd still die. Just like the Grimm would.

When Leviathan burst out of the mountain, he was ready for it. Its jaws came for him, but he swept aside and lashed out at its flank, sending waves of rock and sand against it, aiming for its gills. _It_ was real. _It_ had a body. _It_ was vulnerable. Solid. Immutable. Real.

Leviathan was powerful, but it was also limited. At least in this world.

The tail swung around for him again, but he managed to get under it. The shockwave of water currents caught him, knocking him flying. He managed to steady himself before he slammed into the ground, but it was a close thing. Shaking off the dizziness, he launched a fresh hail of rocks into the beast's side as it turned back toward him, coiling in on itself.

Most impacted its scales – very real, very physical and more than enough to defend it – but there were some scales that flaked off. Broken and dented in places, peeled back in others. Its impact with the mountain, or more likely its violent and reckless escape, had injured it some. It wasn't bleeding, the ruined eye having run out of ichor several moments back, but it was exposed. Vulnerable.

He was winning.

No. Not winning. Making an impact. It was too soon to think he was getting anywhere when _he_ was the one already beginning to tire. Whatever energy the soul used was limited. Or maybe it was his real body becoming so, dying in the Quabbin Reservoir.

Leviathan came in again and Jaune swept himself to the side.

To his surprise, Leviathan made no move to follow. It reared up – vertically up and away from him entirely. The rest of its body followed, twisting in front of him as it drew itself into a bizarre circle shape. Was it trying to get a run up or something? Why? It already had the speed.

His answer came a second later when its tail _beat_ the water with a mighty clap.

The vibrations shot through the water and hit him like a freight train. He'd heard of some animals who could do it. Snap the water so hard that it created a sudden pressure so great it could stun or even kill small fish.

Compared to the Leviathan, he was smaller than a sardine. The impact struck him across his whole body, and real or not he felt the pain. Reeling in agony, he was unprepared for the second snap, Leviathan repeating the motion.

Paralysed, he was unable to protect himself from it.

If the first stunned and robbed him of thought, the second was the one that dealt the damage. Agony seared through his body, drawing a pained scream from him that almost seemed to _echo_ through the ocean.

He flew back and crashed into one of the coral formations, snapping it in two with his body and crashing down in a pile of rubble on the other side. His body broken.

 _N-No. Not broken. It's not real._

He could move. Just. Too slow, though. Even if his body wasn't injured, it hurt to move, and he felt like he was on the verge of collapse. Of fainting or falling unconscious, either of which would prove fatal.

Leviathan watched him with its single eye. It could have lunged in then, but it seemed to have learned from their vicious ordeal. Learned that he could hurt it. Once more it swum a tight loop, bringing its tail around for another snap.

The moment it twitched, clapped, the water flashed bright and the pain struck again.

Jaune screamed.

/-/

 _Tick – Tock_

 _Tick – Tock_

A scream tore through the ocean, riding the vibrations through the water's current.

A spectral head turned in its direction, focused on the angle, the sound and the direction of the currents that battered against its ragged form.

" **Found you."**

 _Tick – Tock_

 _BONG – BONG_

Time moved.

/-/

Fuck.

He could barely move.

His brain felt like it was melting, his body like it was dissolving. Leviathan fixed its single eye on him and opened its membrane once more, bathing him in golden light.

"ARGHHHH!"

" **I see you."**

"Argh!" Jaune writhed under the onslaught. "AHHHH! D-Damn youuuu!" His arms lashed and flailed about, sending waves of water, rocks and other debris up towards Leviathan. Too weak and poorly aimed, however, they sailed on by or just fell to the side and drifted back down to the seabed again.

Like a cruel child holding a magnifying glass over a struggling ant, Leviathan was killing him from a distance. Wary now of coming close. Of endangering itself any further than it had already.

It was working. He was dying.

 _I-I tried. Everyone…_ He spasmed as more heat burned his soul away. _I tried my hardest…_

 _BONG - BONG_

The bell. It tolled.

It tolled so close, as if it had come for him at last.

And then Leviathan screeched. The pillar of light was removed.

Gasping for breath he didn't need, Jaune rolled over and slumped off the rocks, falling in a limp heap at the base of the formation he'd crashed into. Feeling like every part of his soul was on fire, he forced himself to look up once more.

A ragged grey piece of cloth.

That was the only way he could think to describe it. A cloth, almost like a bedsheet, ragged and torn from old age and yet drifting through the water with unnatural speed. It whipped past Leviathan's head, twirled gracefully through the water and then swam a circle around Leviathan's neck, touching its cloth to the beast's scales.

Moss, barnacles and weathered cracks appeared across it. Things that should have taken a hundred years or more to grow grew in the span of seconds, a literal _line_ of moss, algae and coral appearing across its bulk.

Leviathan roared and lashed out at the cloth. The _thing_. Its teeth caught the cloth at its hem and tore through it, but that only added another ragged tear to what was already fabric so old it looked ready to crumble to dust.

It swept up and around, over Leviathan's snout.

Teeth rotted in the monster's jaw, and one cracked and fell out entirely, blackened and worn away.

Lurching, Leviathan snapped once more at the spectral cloth and then turned its attention back onto Jaune. Almost desperately, it lunged for him, crashing into the seabed and slithering across it like a snake on land, jaws opened wide to swallow the lost soul who could barely move on the bottom.

He tried anyway, willing the water to shift him. It responded sluggishly, lifting his feet off the seabed, but too slow to escape in time.

The grey cloth appeared over Leviathan's charging head and swept forward.

Into _him_.

It passed through him like a ghost, piercing his stomach and coming out his back in an explosion of ice-cold air. It left a taste on his lips, a taste not unlike wilted flowers and dying plant life. The sensation jarred him but didn't hurt.

Leviathan slowed to a crawl.

Still coming for him, still lunging, but the speed changing from that of a car on a motorway, to something resembling a pre-schooler on a bicycle. Even the sand and silt it kicked up seemed frozen in the air, as if trapped in time.

 _BONG – BONG_

"R-Right." Forcing himself to move, Jaune let the water take and pull him out of the way. Not a moment too soon, for time suddenly sped up again and Leviathan sailed by, crashing into the rocks he'd been stood in front of. The formation crumbled and fell, pinning Leviathan beneath it, though not for long. He was too strong to be buried so easily.

There was another pillar of stone nearby that had been weakened by the impact. A huge stone pillar collapsed, falling down towards him. Stabbing his hands up, Jaune caught it on a current of water – but was too weak to stop it entirely. Slowed, held in place just barely, it inched down, threatening to crush him at any moment.

Leviathan stirred and shook the debris from its body.

Now or never. Jaune gritted his teeth and held his ground, looking up to the roughly hewn pillar of rock aiming down towards him. Inching closer. Focusing, he battered it with water, swirled currents up against it, hewed the rock with the raw power of the ocean.

Water could erode rock over decades. Could wear down even mountains given enough time.

"I need your help!" he cried. "Age it! Age it!"

He had no idea if the spectral figure, Grimm, whatever, could hear or understand him, but there was no other option. If this didn't work, he died. He died, and Vale would be dropped below the waves by Leviathan. Boston and his family, too.

"Help me, damn it!"

 _BONG – BONG_

The cloth tore through his body once more, this time back to front. The icy blast, the slowing of time as Leviathan broke free and started to hurl towards him in slow motion. Through the haze of pain and fear, he watched the cloth rear up in the water and surge towards the falling rock pillar, twist around it time and time again, circling it in a haze of grey.

The rock began to give way. Began to erode.

Not randomly. Not wholesale. Jaune worked the water from the bottom up, forming a funnel that he let gravity feed the stone into as he sheared off the bottom layer by layer, angling the currents at forty-five degrees, and then a steeper angle after, up and up as hundreds of years of erosion turned the narrow slab of rock into a sharpened stake, its tip one of solid rock several tonnes in weight.

Real weight. Real this-world weight.

Time sped back up.

Leviathan swept towards him, mouth open.

Jaune dragged both hands down, reversed the flow and sent the stone nail hurtling down, even as he kicked back with both feet.

The rock slammed into Leviathan's skull when it was less than ten metres from him. There was a sickening crunch, a crack as bone splintered and then a tortured screech. The spike pierced its skull, came out on the inside of its mouth and then stabbed down into its throat and below, digging into the ground. Leviathan came to a grinding halt as his head was pinned down, his body slamming into itself and worsening the damage.

Fitfully, its eye tried to track him. Tried to focus on him. Tried to kill him.

He was having none of it. Arms raised and water currents collected atop the spike driven into the monster, Jaune _slammed_ down with all his might.

The rock was driven deeper – driven through its body entirely and lodging itself in Leviathan's skull. Its brain. The golden eye shut off entirely, though its body continued to thrash and writhe in the water as the giant beast was caught in its death throes. Black ichor poured out from its mouth, and from the entry point atop its head. Great storms of dust and clouds of silt were kicked up, but the erratic movements only tore the wound deeper and deeper.

After what felt like five solid minutes, Leviathan's struggles slowed and eventually ceased. The creature's huge body crashed down and lay flat on the sea floor. Its mouth was left open, pinned so by the rock spike he'd driven into it.

The feeling inside of him, that ever-present knowledge of Leviathan's gaze, faded away.

It was as though a weight he'd never recognised had been lifted from his shoulders.

Hands falling to his sides and chest heaving, heart beating wildly, Jaune looked towards the monster that had hunted him for a whole week, dogging his dreams, robbing him of sleep and causing so much chaos.

"And that…" he panted. "That was for Yang."

Gasping, Jaune fell to one knee as exhaustion overwhelmed him. With the adrenaline gone and Leviathan dead, the fear and willpower that had kept him going went with it. He tried to stay on one knee but fell instead onto his back, laid flat on the bottom of the ocean next to the dead monster. He half expected it to come back to life and hunt him anew, but he knew deep inside, in some unnatural way, that such would never happen.

The Leviathan was no more.

 _But what of me? What's happened to my body? Did it get the ability to breathe like I can here, or have I died already? Am I trapped in this world now?_

There was no way to tell. Time might answer that, but it might not. Either way, he wanted to fall asleep and sleep for a week straight. It had been so long since he'd had a proper rest. One that lasted longer than an hour and wasn't spend running for his life.

And he had to get back to the real world to keep his promise to Yang.

Forcing himself to stand, he looked around for the grey cloth creature that had helped him. That had saved him. It was nowhere to be seen. Nor was the _ticking_ or _bell_ sounds that accompanied it. Nor even was the ever-present dripping of his own mind.

More than anything, having that gone told him Leviathan was no more.

He hadn't realised just how quiet his thoughts were without it. With that leaky faucet finally closed, he could actually think again. Think, but barely move. _Guess that took a whole lot out of me. I'm about ready to collapse._

With Leviathan gone, he could, in theory, leave the water.

Using what little strength he had left, Jaune gathered the currents under his feet and used them to push himself up. Slowly away from Leviathan's fallen form, half-buried under sand and pinned to the ground by a stake of solid rock.

The sunlight piercing through the waves above beckoned.

He let the currents take him.

/-/

Water and blood ran off his body in waves as he dragged himself out of the water and up onto the beach. Leviathan's blood and not his. Dry sand turned to wet mush under his hands, making an already difficult task all the harder. His vision swam somewhere back in the ocean and it was only force of will that kept him going in what he hoped was a straight line.

One of his arms gave way. He fell down with a crash onto the sand, feeling the cold water lap up with the current to brush his cheek and then be drawn back again. An alien sun beat down on him, burning the salt water off his skin.

It burned, but it also felt wonderful. Real sunlight. Warm sunlight, solid earth and a cool ocean breeze on his skin.

With the last of his strength, he rolled over, splashing down flat on his back and staring up into the sky. His chest rose and fell with great gasps of air; something his lungs had not needed and yet now rejoiced at the feel of. Exhausted, battered and bleeding from a hundred small wounds, it felt like every limb weighed a tonne or more.

 _But I did it. I avenged Yang. I stopped Leviathan…_

Even if his real body was dead at the bottom of the Quabbin Reservoir, he'd done what he had to. With Leviathan gone, there would be no one to stretch the boundary. Small Grimm might come through as they always had, but Ozpin and the hunters could deal with those.

As long as the Nightmares were over, that was enough.

He'd done enough.

His eyes slowly closed. Just a short rest, and then he'd explore. Figure out where he was. Do… Well, he had no idea what, but as long as he could sleep now, he didn't care.

Something heavy padded through the sand towards him.

He heard it but couldn't react. Too weak to do anything but open his eyes and stare blearily up at a large, black shape that stood behind him on four legs, an animal-like snout pointed down in his direction, sniffing him.

"G'way…"

The beast, the Grimm, snorted and opened its jaw, revealing row upon row of razor-sharp teeth. It bit down on his shoulder. He didn't feel a thing. No pain, no tearing flesh, nothing. The creature pulled back, dragging him across the sand and away from the water, no doubt to its lair to eat.

Water. He had to use the water. He concentrated and tried to will it up, and the waves began to lap harder on the beach, reaching up to the Grimm's large paws and tickling at them. Small tendrils worked their way up threateningly. Weakly. He could barely maintain them.

It was enough. The creature dropped him back down into the surf. It eyed the water, then looked back down on him again. Its lips peeled back in a snarl, revealing its teeth in some strange parody of a smile.

"Always so paranoid," it said, voice rumbling, deep, but somehow – in some way – still oddly feminine. "If I wanted you dead, I would have killed you long ago. Isn't that right, Jaune?"

Through the haze of pain and fatigue, he recognised the voice.

"Blake…?"

* * *

 **Cat girl lives. Well, obviously. It was only her stolen human body that died after all. Anyway, Jaune has managed to eke out a victory over the Leviathan but is now trapped in the Grimm World.**

 **And yes, Leviathan is dead. Very dead.**

 **This isn't some deus ex machina "and he returns!" shenanigans.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 17** **th** **February**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	21. Chapter 21

**Glad to see people liked the fight scene last chapter. I did notice one or two small confusion things (mostly on Leviathan being able to be killed) and have better explained it in this chapter.**

 **One thing I will say quick, is that though I said this story was Cthulhu-esque, I meant more in terms of the alternate world, dreams, ocean references and such. Leviathan et al are not Gods like in Cthulhu lore. They're just Grimm.**

 **I guess it's easier to compare the "crossover" elements between Lovecraft and this. I took the real world fictional city setting from Lovecraft (not Vale, but the idea of a modern setting, etc) as well as the dreams, alternate world and insanity, etc. But Leviathan and the others didn't come from Lovecraft; those were literally taken from RWBY. I.e. Grimm.**

 **Big Grimm, sure, but still Grimm.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 21**

* * *

Through a haze of heady dreams and what felt like bubbling water, Jaune heard the voices. Deep, grating voices. Growled voices. Inhuman voices. They penetrated deep into his mind as he came to.

"-awake yet?"

"No. – not time. Soon. I-" Bubbles. "-when he does."

"- horrid. His stench-" More bubbles. "- not like. Want him out-"

"In time. Look, the Leviathan awakes."

It was the name that had his eyes snapping open. Leviathan. Jaune reacted immediately, gasping and letting bubbles pour past his lips, telling him he was underwater again. In his panic, he reached for the light above, knowing a barrier would stop him before he could escape but desperate enough to try-

His hand, shoulders and head broke the surface of the water.

"And there he is," a deep and amused voice rumbled.

"About time," another, deeper, voice growled. "He has polluted our watering hole for long enough."

What? Jaune's arms splashed back down into the cool and _fresh_ water. Not salty at all. His head turned around, taking in a verdant forest replete with a near-solid canopy, but for a breach that shone light down on the pool he was in, and another that shone down on a large and flat rock nearby. It looked like something straight out of a fairy tale.

"Where am I…?"

"You are in our glade," a familiar voice rumbled. "And have been for a day and a half."

Splashing around in the water Jaune came face to face – or snout – with a _huge_ panther. Or some kind of black wild feline the size of a small car. His animal knowledge wasn't good enough to differentiate which, only that it was a _big fucking cat_ with razor sharp teeth smiling at him.

"Argh!" He threw himself back, splashing into the water.

The cat turned to the creature sat a little behind it – a bull, if one could take a creature easily six feet tall while standing on all fours with razor-sharp horns and armoured plates on its side and call it a cow.

"Is there something in my teeth?" the cat asked.

"No, Blake." The bull – the bull thing – sighed. "I would have told you if there was."

His memory was jogged by the name. "Blake?"

"Your mind is yours at last," the cat, Blake, hissed. It was an angry sound but, possibly, the only sounds her lips could produce. "I will admit, Jaune, I did not expect to see you again. Not after you failed to warn me of the danger behind."

"Failed-?" Rebecca. "I didn't _see_ the danger!"

"Tch. Human eyes. So pathetic." Blake huffed loudly and rolled her powerful shoulders. "Being incinerated was not an amusing experience. I find myself quite annoyed at the one responsible."

"A-Annoyed? Rebecca _killed_ you."

"Killed the human body I had possessed. My access to your world has been lost for now – a pity – but the damage was only that. Bigger news is your survival." Her lips peeled back, showing teeth in a feline parody of a smile. "And the lack of survival of the monster who dwelled in the ocean nearby."

Jaune swallowed. "Leviathan."

"No. Leviathan was a title. He, if he had a name, chose to forsake it. Either way, he is dead now. I felt it. You killed him." Blake tilted her head to the side. "Something I did not imagine possible. Something I am sure _he_ did not imagine possible."

"Because it should not have been," the huge bull rumbled.

"Ah." Blake stepped back, turned and faced the bull. In front of Jaune, she rubbed her head against his neck, almost like a cat might to someone or something it was rubbing its scent onto. "I should introduce you. This is my mate, Adam."

"Um." Jaune watched the bull stoically put up with Blake's affection. "Hi?"

Adam snorted.

"Adam knows of you," Blake explained. "Even as I was in your world, we were still in communication. He knows of your circumstances. A little of your personality."

"Of your cowardice," Adam added.

Jaune grit his teeth.

"Forgive Adam," Blake said, voice tinged with amusement. "He's had to travel further than usual to drink and wash since you've been recuperating in our pool. You're welcome for me saving you, by the way. Dragging yourself up onto shore was an ill-advised move. Any Grimm could have come along and slain you. Many would have made the attempt."

"I've been goring those who have tried to breach our Glade to find you," Adam snorted and pawed the ground with one hoof. "I do not defend another easily, none other than my mate. You owe us, human. You owe us dearly."

"Adam." Blake's feline head conveyed an emotion Jaune couldn't read. She was a _cat_ for crying out loud. It was like trying to read the facial expressions of a pet. "I was going to broach the topic a little more subtly. Jaune doesn't do well with threats."

Shaking his head, Jaune slowly stood. The pool he was in was deep despite its relatively small size, and he was submerged up to his stomach. Despite the danger, despite the fact he had two Grimm in front of him, he didn't feel afraid.

If they'd wanted him dead, they could have killed him earlier.

"I don't really understand what's going on here…"

"It's-" Blake's words were cut off by a howl.

"Another interloper," Adam snorted, shaking his head angrily. "Explain to the human the situation. I will stamp more into the dust." Without waiting for a response, the bull turned and charged into the forest, trumpeting his rage.

Jaune wasn't sure what to say. "He's… nice…"

"He is nice to me," Blake replied, making an odd huffing sound. He realised it might be laughter, or her attempt to mimic it. He wondered if it was a habit she'd picked up being human. "He's not wrong, though. We've faced numerous attacks as Grimm hunt for you. A human soul walking free in our world. That is a tempting target."

"Not tempting for you?"

"No. For reasons I shall explain soon enough…"

"Right." Jaune sloshed about in the water and wondered if he shouldn't climb out. As he pondered it, Blake stood, revealing her full lupine form, and loped off towards the rock in the centre of the clearing. Scaling it, she laid across the top, paws splayed out. The warm sunlight beat down on her and she seemed to bask in it.

 _You're more like a housecat than I thought…_

"You're staring."

Caught, he shrugged. "Not much else to look at. You said you and Adam are… together?"

"Mated."

"Officially…?"

One of Blake's yellow eyes opened. "We are not married if you are referring to your human customs, but we are mated." She seemed to roll her eyes. "And if you're asking whether we have _rutted_ with one another, then yes. Obviously."

Jaune cringed.

Blake noticed. "What?"

"It's just… you're not exactly… How do I put this?"

"He is a bull and I am a cat?"

"Y-Yeah…" He winced. "Isn't it a little, you know, odd? Interspecies or something? Does it even work?"

"Silly human," Blake huffed, making the laughing sound again. "Bull and cat are human terms for creatures in your world. I may look similar to it, and Adam to his, but we are neither. In our world, we _are_ the same species. We are Grimm. He who was Leviathan was Grimm. The size may differ, with the older and stronger Grimm being larger, but that matters little when it comes to mating."

She paused.

"Other than the size difference, obviously."

Jaune blanched. "Yeah."

"It would be easier if you accepted Adam and I as sharing a species," she explained. "It's no different from two nationalities mating in your world. To me, his differences are as a different hairstyle or skin colour to your own people. Nothing more."

"I think I get it. You said I've been asleep for a day and a half?"

"Yes." Blake yawned. "Considering your lack of rest before, it makes sense."

"But this isn't my body."

"Your mind can still feel the fatigue. The mind is powerful."

"I know. I used it to resist Leviathan." A memory came to him. "Or not alone. There was someone – something – else that helped me. A cloth. It could speed up time and also slow it down. If it hadn't been there, I'd have died for sure."

"Is that so?" Blake hummed. "I know it not, and if its scent was upon you, the ocean's waves have washed it away. It was likely another Grimm."

"It helped me…"

"Yes."

"Did you…" He tried to think of a better way to say it. "You didn't…"

"Would I have helped you?"

He nodded.

"Does my body look suited to surviving at thousands of feet underwater?" Blake stretched and stood, yawning and exposing her feline flank and chest. "The question is a pointless one for I'd have drowned a hundred miles from reaching you. Even were distance no contest, the pressure would have killed me. I am a physical being in this world. My body is real."

"Sorry," he said and meant it. "I guess that was rude of me to ask. That's why you were worried about him in the first place, wasn't it? He could raise the ocean's level and wash away your Glade."

"Indeed. You've done us a favour in slaying him."

Hearing the howls in the distance, he said, "It sounds like you've done me a favour in return."

Blake huffed, pleased. "Yes. A favour."

The silence stretched between them. Blake watched him and he watched her, and occasionally the treeline where Adam had entered the forest, from which the occasional roar of pain and but of crashing wood reached his ears.

"He said I owed you. What does that mean?"

"Exactly what it sounded like. You _have_ helped us by getting rid of Leviathan, but we have helped you in turn. There's no trick to this," she said, shaking her head. "No promises, rules or other rituals. If you choose not to return the favour, I will accept it."

"But you want me to."

"I do." Blake leapt down from the rock and padded to the water's edge, laying down and placing her jaw atop her mighty paws. Her voice was low, and he had to swim closer to hear her. "Adam does not like the concept of asking for assistance. While it's true that you aided us in destroying Leviathan, my helping you in the first place, and saving you on the beach, has brought more problems to both us, and to you. There is someone displeased at your feat."

It didn't take him long to figure out who. A satisfied smile bloomed across his face. "Rebecca."

Blake huffed again. "Indeed. You have slain her mate, a mate she sought to bring into your world. You slew him in our world, from which there is no coming back. He is dead. Gone." Blake's amusement faded. "She will not be pleased."

"What can she do?"

"Raze our Glade to the ground. Hunt you down and torture you." Blake's eyes narrowed. "Locate your family in your world, then feed them to the Grimm in retaliation."

Jaune's heart stopped. The water in the pond began to bubble and froth.

"As you can see, there is plenty of things she could do in response to this – and believe me, she will be angry enough to do all those things and more still. Every friend you ever made, every person you knew. She worked at your school, recall. She _knows_ who you interact with. She knows how to find out where your family live."

"It's not my intent to intimidate or frighten you," Blake said, standing. "In fact, I am offering both my assistance _and_ asking for yours. Adam would try and press you into aiding us with talk of favours, but the truth is that we both need to help one another."

"Is she… Is Rebecca that powerful?"

"I said before that Grimm grow on strength and age. And, as you noticed, certain size differences might make the process of mating… difficult."

"She's as big as Leviathan was, then."

"Almost certainly."

Well, that wasn't good. He'd just got out of being hunted by one giant eldritch monster and now he was on the menu for another. He wanted to laugh, but, after all the shit he'd been through, couldn't find it in himself.

At the very least, Blake's frank honesty was a nice touch. Come to think of it, she'd always been quite honest when dealing with him. She never once pretended to like him and laid things out in a flat and factual manner. Here, she wasn't speaking of friendship or the camaraderie they'd built together – because, for her, it probably didn't even feel like that. He'd been a means to an end, a tool, and she'd helped him because it helped her.

Now, she was suggesting they do the same again, except this time on an open and equal level.

Left unsaid was that without her help he was up the creek without a paddle. He had no idea how this world worked, and the Grimm were already baying for his blood. It was good of her not to point out just how much he _needed_ her help.

"I'll help. If you'll help me in turn. Help me understand how to live in this damned world…"

Blake cocked her head to the side. "Why would you wish to live here?"

"I… My body. It's been at the bottom of the Quabbin Reservoir for a day and a half, maybe longer now." He shook his head. "I'm dead, Blake. Very, very dead."

The feline offered her huffing laughter again. "If you were dead, you would be here in form and not spirit. That you're not is evidence of the opposite."

His eyes lit up. "I'm alive!?"

"Almost certainly. You breathe underwater here."

"Y-Yeah, because of my power. Or Leviathan's power-"

"Your power," she corrected. " _You_ are the Leviathan now."

"Whatever you want to call it. But my body… you're sure?"

"As sure as I can be," Blake said with a feline shrug. "You continued to breathe in our pool; something which is not required for an entity that is but a soul as you are now. There is a _reason_ you continue to expel air."

If she was right…

He didn't dare to imagine she was. Even so, he couldn't help but hope. Rebecca wouldn't have drowned him if she expected him to die, right? That would have prevented Leviathan taking over his body. Maybe when he'd been thrown in the reservoir, she knew he would be able to survive. Maybe Leviathan had done something.

"How do I go back?"

"I will tell you soon."

"No! Tell me now. It's been almost two days. My parents will be worried sick!"

"Your parents will _die_ if you are not prepared," Blake hissed.

Jaune went silent.

"I no longer exist in your world to offer assistance or protection. You will be on your own. Rebecca Farleigh will hunt you down as quickly as she is able; she will not grant you the time to grow stronger in your newfound abilities."

"R-Right. You're going to help me. So that I can help you."

"Yes." The large feline nodded. "My Glade will burn as easily as it might be swept under the waves, and so long as she holds dominion in your world as well as our own, I could not wholly kill her. Nor could you in your world. You can only remove her influence there. Which," she said, "Would be enough to keep your family safe. For a time."

"Until the boundary breaks again. And since she'll be after my head, she'll certainly work on doing that."

"Indeed." Blake eyed him. "There _is_ a way for me to assist you in your world…"

Jaune's expression hardened. "I'm not sacrificing some innocent person to you."

"They need not be innocent," Blake said, completely neglecting to act as though that _hadn't_ been her plan. "A criminal, rapist or even a murderer if you wish. I'd prefer a woman, but I can be flexible."

"Blake…"

"Or if the possibility of death upsets you, how about someone who is in a coma and unlikely to ever awake? It would mean little difference to them."

"Still not happening. I refuse to _feed_ people to you."

Blake huffed. "As you will. Perhaps your tone will change. Regardless, there are things you must know, things you must learn, before you will be ready to return to your world. It will not take long," she added when he made to protest. "A few hours. Simple things. Knowledge. We have not the time to train you in the use of your abilities, if I even knew how to use them."

"You must learn to smell like a Grimm, how to transition your consciousness between two worlds – and also how to bring your consciousness to one over the other by choice."

Since those sounded important for getting back into his body, Jaune nodded and listened, still standing in the clear water that felt so comfortable.

"You will also need to reclaim your domain."

"I have a domain?"

"The great ocean. It was Leviathan's and, having slain him, it is now yours. Your soul is tied intrinsically to it. You've heard the echoes of the ocean."

The dripping sound? _That_ had been the ocean?

"I guess…"

"A body outside of its domain grows weak without a soul. This was never a problem when you slept in your bed for a few hours at a time, but when I spent weeks in your world, my body needed to be in my Glade. Safe. Were it not, I would have faded away. If your soul is tied to a location or medium, it provides as an anchor for body and soul."

Nothing specific, but then he couldn't expect the Grimm to have scientists or deep thinkers. He wondered if it was something to do with familiarity – like those people who suggested the dead could haunt locations they'd lived in all their lives because of how familiar they were with the area. If this Glade was, for lack of a better word, saturated in Blake's spirit, then it might make for a way back for her soul. A beacon of sorts.

"My medium is the ocean?"

"Water. Your reservoir was not ocean water and yet Leviathan emerged from it. My pool here is crystal clear, yet your body would have withered away had we not laid you in it."

 _Guess that explains why they dunked me here. I might really have died if I'd fallen unconscious on that beach. If the waves didn't drag me back in and protect me._

"This will be the same in both worlds. When you leave this world, you must leave your body here in a pool of water. When you leave your world, you will be safer if you are submerged. I never needed this because once I inhabited a human body, I did not _leave_ your world. Had I wanted to, I would have needed to find a forest to sleep in."

"Wait. What do you mean by my `body` in this world? Didn't you say I'm here in spirit only?"

Blake made her huffing laughter sound. "Just as I gained a body when I slew the human who trespassed in my Glade, so too have you gained physical form upon killing Leviathan. Physical form of a sort. You are real now."

Shit.

"And if I'm killed here?"

"No harm comes to you. Like I lost my position in your world, you lose yours here and wake up back in your own. However, you might lose your abilities and thus drown. Those are tied to your domain. Similarly, the power gained by whomever killed you might make them the next Leviathan. They would inevitably stress upon the boundary once more."

Making the same problems all happen again. He had to wonder why Blake or Adam hadn't tried to kill him and take the Leviathan's power, but maybe that was the reason. If they did, one of them would grow large and have to leave the Glade and take to the ocean. It would break apart their union.

Greed and lust for power weren't necessarily applicable here. He couldn't judge Grimm by human terms and motivations. There was a good chance their `mating` was more important to them than any immediate boost in strength.

Luckily for him…

"There is much for us to discuss. Not only the one who wishes you dead, but the one I left behind in your world – one who is still hunted as you once were."

"Weiss Schnee. The girl you helped…"

"Correct. She will surely be slain if you do not aid her, and her death would bring another Grimm as large and powerful as the Leviathan was into your city. Such, I imagine, would not be good for your people."

"And you can't do anything to stop that Grimm?"

"It is the Lord of the Skies that flies above _your_ domain, the ocean. I can neither fly nor stand upon the water and leap into the air." Blake huffed. "It is not that I do not _desire_ to assist, but that I cannot."

"If I'm like I am now, I'm not sure what I can do either. I can control water, but unless it chooses to dive into the ocean, I'm out of options."

"Not quite." Blake smiled toothily. "You have slain the Leviathan. You had no form here and, as I did upon slaying my human, assumed _their_ form. The only reason you persist in this lesser body is because you have willed yourself to do so. Your soul is powerful. Probably why it tempted Leviathan so."

"Wait. You're saying I can turn _into_ Leviathan!? But I left his body at the bottom of the ocean. It had a spike through its skull! Even if I possessed it, I'd surely die."

"Applying your human rules to our world once more?"

A rustle and a crash by the treeline heralded the return of Adam, barrelling through the branches and vines. His horns and much of his face was splashed with blood, and his hooves had little tufts of fur stuck to them.

"Those who entered have been dealt with," he said, tossing his head. "More will come."

"It won't take long to give him what information he needs to survive."

"He needs to return to the ocean. He cannot stay here. He draws lesser Grimm like a bright soul in the dark."

"He knows." Blake said. "He is aware. Worry not, my mate. He will learn quickly and return to his domain. Although, should he need it, he is free to come back to the borders of our territory and treat with us."

"Of course." Adam sounded annoyed. "We could not stop him if he wished to sweep the ocean into our Glade and wash us away."

"I wouldn't do that," Jaune said.

"Hmph. I have naught but your word and my mate's assurances in belief of that. One of those things I trust more than the other…"

"Enough playing around the two of you." Blake huffed her laughter again. "He will need to learn what he must and then visit his world once more. The sooner I can teach him, the sooner he will be out of our Glade, Adam."

"Then I shall remain silent and leave this matter to you." The bull strode over to the rock Blake had been sunning herself on before and lowered himself down to lay beside it. His eyes closed and he began to snore softly.

Blake rolled her eyes.

"Let us begin. Learn quickly and you may be back in your world before the day is done."

/-/

Jaune's eyes snapped open.

Both sets of eyes.

The dizziness he felt was immense, particularly because he was seeing _two_ sets of images at once. As if he had eyes in the back of his head, but not the necessary brain function to differentiate the images. Things blurred together agonisingly.

" _Close your eyes."_ A familiar voice said.

Blake!?

" _You are awake in both worlds. A poor choice for your sanity. Close your eyes."_

He did so, scrunching them shut.

" _Not BOTH your eyes,"_ she huffed, annoyed. _"Close your eyes in this world. Open them in your own."_

It wasn't as easy as Blake made it sound – especially when it was something he'd never had to try before. He played around for a moment, trying to do it, until he eventually decided to treat it like opening his left hand and closing his right.

It wasn't the same, obviously, but the very act of _thinking_ them as different sets of eyes helped.

A placebo of sorts, it let him slowly close his eyes in the Grimm world but not his own.

" _Good."_ Blake's voice faded away. _"Now, good luck."_

And she was gone.

He'd been warned of it. He was now asleep in the Grimm world, which meant that even if Blake was talking to him, he likely wouldn't hear it. As Blake put it, being Awakened in both worlds was okay for a brief time but could be dangerous in the long run. It stretched your soul thin. Weakened it. Not to mention the stress it put on the brain.

If anyone was to jar or touch his body in their world, he would snap awake in both – but he would have to make a decision on which to go into quickly. If his Grimm body was attacked, it was best to faint in the human world and defend his Grimm form. If only to stop someone else getting the Leviathan's power.

Back in his real body, Jaune stared up through the dark water towards the light shimmering on the surface far above. He was cold and yet not hypothermic. He could breathe despite being underwater for almost two days now.

Or rather, he wasn't breathing normally. Water passed through his lips and – somehow – was filtered into air.

 _Magic,_ he decided. _Don't question it. Our rules don't exist for Grimm, and right now I have both a human body and a Grimm one. Man, that's going to take some getting used to._

He tried to move his hands. They were stiff from lack of use and buried a little in silt, but it fell off as he pulled his arm free and brought it in front of his face. Odd to think no one had found his body all this time, but then again, with the disasters only a few days ago, the city was probably panicking enough as it was.

At least Rebecca had thrown him in water. His domain. It kept him safe. Although, she'd obviously thought that for Leviathan's sake, to give him a safe haven when he came over into their world.

His clothing was sodden. Absolutely wet through. Pushing himself up onto his feet, he inspected his immediate surroundings and noticed the shadow of the bridge he'd been thrown off above. Kicking off the floor, he started to swim upwards, before he thought better of it and instead focused on being _pushed_ upward.

The water coalesced under his feet and raised him up to the surface.

He broke through it with a gasp.

"ARGH!" A nearby man, on the shore, fell onto his back with a startled cry. His camera crashed down on the floor and broke.

Bobbing in the water, Jaune stared at him. "Oh. Hey."

"W-W-Where did you come from!?"

"The reservoir." Jaune swept over and pulled himself out. "Sorry. I was just going for a swim. Didn't mean to startle you."

"I-I didn't see you dive in…"

"I'm a free diver. I can hold my breath a long time." He had to smile at his little joke. "I was practicing for my next big dive."

"In your clothes!?"

"Yep." Trudging by, sloshing water all over the floor, Jaune walked by the man. "Sorry about your camera." He hurried off before the man could gather himself and question just why someone would be free diving in the reservoir.

A few people looked his way, mostly because of how wet he was, but with the reservoir nearby, they probably assumed he'd fallen in by accident. Stopping at a bench, Jaune made a show of wringing out his clothing, though in truth he pushed the water out of it with his mind, making it all pool below and slip down a drain.

"You alright there, son?" an officer asked, approaching.

"I'm fine, sir. Just slipped and fell in the drink." Jaune flashed the man an embarrassed smile. "Do you happen to know where a payphone is? I think my mobile is out of it." He brought his out, which was as wet as the rest of him and definitely not turning on.

"Damn shame, son. Hope that's insured." The officer turned and pointed to the left. "Just down there, maybe four minutes or so. I'd get home and get changed before you catch hypothermia, though. We'd have enough problems recently."

That piqued his attention. "You mean with the storms?"

"Mhm. That and looters, not to mention the deaths…" The man paused, realising he probably shouldn't be talking about that with a stranger. "But don't let me keep you, son. You can hear all about it on the news, I'm sure."

"Yeah. Thanks, officer."

Jogging in the direction indicated, he found the payphones without too much trouble and dug in his pockets for change. His paper money was ruined. Complete mush. Luckily, he had a few coins set aside that he pushed into the machines. To his relief, they worked, and he quickly dialled a number.

" _Hello. Arc residence."_

Swallowing, Jaune spoke. "Hey mom."

" _Jaune!? Oh my God, JAUNE! You're okay!"_ In the background he heard people shouting out and a stampede of feet. _"Where are you? Where have you been? We heard about the storm a-and so many people died! And we couldn't find you!"_

"I-I'm sorry." He'd known they would be worried. "I didn't have a choice, mom. I was… I was trapped in a building that was knocked down. My phone was destroyed." The lie came easily. Too easily. "I only just got out and I called straight away."

" _Are you hurt? We can come over in a few hours."_

"No. Don't come." Not with Rebecca close. Of course, he couldn't say that. "Vale is a mess right now, mom. I don't want you all here. The traffic getting into the city is probably bad enough as it is. I'm fine. I'm not hurt, but I'll go down to the hospital later just in case."

" _A-Are you sure? It wouldn't be a problem to come down. Or we could bring you home. Just for a week,"_ his mother said quickly. _"A week or two. It wouldn't get in the way of your schooling. They'd understand."_

He wanted nothing more than to say yes.

"I can't, mom. Things are… things aren't great here, but I have to stay."

" _Why? For what possible reason could you-"_

"One of my friends died."

Silence. Horrified silence.

" _Oh Jaune…"_

"It…" It wasn't okay and saying it now, with all the adrenaline gone, Yang's death hurt all the more. He didn't have to fake his sniffle. "I want to attend her funeral. We were…" Allies, companions, enemies turned friends at the last moment. "She was special. I know her little sister too, and I don't want to leave her on her own. I promised her I wouldn't leave her sister."

" _I understand."_ Juniper's voice was solemn, soft. _"I'm so sorry, Jaune. I don't know what to say."_

"You don't have to say or do anything, mom."

" _No. I do know. I love you, Jaune. I love you and everyone else does. We were worried sick and we're so happy – you cannot believe how relieved we are – to hear that you're okay. It felt like our whole world was crumbling down around us with you gone."_

Jaune pressed his forehead against the payphone. A few lone tears sprung out, but his smile was honest.

"Thanks, mom. That… That means a lot right now. I love you too. Tell dad and the girls the same."

" _I will. Please get a new phone, Jaune. I want you to text me later and tell me you're okay. If you need anything, anything at all – money, food, company – just tell us and we'll be there as fast as your father can drive us."_

"Don't worry, I'll call later. We'll talk properly." He eyed the receiver. "I'm running out of change for this. I'm at a payphone. I'll call you later, okay? Love you all."

" _We love you too, Jaune! Stay safe!"_

The call ended, the dial tone remaining as the coins ran dry.

"Yeah," he said, putting it back on the hook. "You guys stay safe as well. Stay out of Vale. Stay away from me until this is all over." While it hurt a little, the sheer knowledge that they were there, that they were safe, was enough to keep him going.

He'd slain Leviathan. He could slay Rebecca.

But first…

Jaune stepped back, raised his head and sniffed the air. Gasoline, water, sweat and a thousand more scents too slight to place flowed through his nostrils. His sense of smell, enhanced by his Grimm form slumbering in another world, took in more than he'd ever thought possible. A thousand scents or more, some overpowering, others sickening.

But there, among the various smells, one that felt odd. Out of place.

Decaying flowers and dust that had collected for a millennium or more.

"There you are," he whispered, opening his eyes. Now that he'd found it, he felt that he could follow it. Follow it to its source. "Found you…"

It was in the opposite direction from the Beacon.

She still hadn't returned.

"Ruby…"

* * *

 **Welp. I know a lot of people thought I'd be issekai (if that's the spelling) in the Grimm world, and while that's not entirely wrong, it's not one hundred per cent accurate either. There WILL be more travelling into and through that world, but right now – even with Leviathan gone – there are still problems in their world to deal with.**

 **Wonder how many times I need to say Blake and Adam are mated and happy about it before people stop looking for the Blake x Jaune pairing. xD**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 24** **th** **February**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	22. Chapter 22

**Here we are**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 22**

* * *

In the back of his mind he knew he should get in touch with Ren and Nora. Probably the school as well, though there was a chance his mother was doing that on his behalf. He'd trust her to contact any police or missing persons reports she'd had him on. He focused on the scent of decaying and wilting flowers as he picked his way through the city.

There were places where the scent was stronger – at a graveyard especially, but also near the waterfront, likely a route Ruby travelled often. He stopped every now and then to sniff and catch it, sometimes having to loop around an area to make sure.

It was not _quite_ how he'd imagined Grimm senses to be. Blake made it seem easy, but then she'd only had to impress him by telling what was on him when he was a few feet away. Tracking someone across a city was harder.

And yet… also not.

There were a hundred other smells that should have been harsher on his nose, from the exhaust fumes of cars passing by to the perfumes and aftershaves of the crowds he pushed through. Ruby's rose above it all, however, stronger and more _real_. If that even made sense.

He didn't think he could have mistaken it for a natural fragrance. Something about it just felt wrong. Familiar. Heavy.

Grimm.

He'd only had a little time to learn from Blake on the matter. In a way, he was smelling in two worlds at once; it was just that with his body in the Grimm world asleep, it wasn't processing what sensory information it took in. The body was also submerged, sleeping on the bottom of their little pool. Adam wanted him gone, but he wouldn't return to the ocean until he had the control necessary to sense and awaken if anyone entered his domain.

In the meanwhile, there was no telling what Grimm had gone to the ocean.

Blake told him he'd know if something tried. He'd feel it in a way he couldn't mistake. He had to take her word for it.

There was more to do here anyway. Ruby had to be dealt with. Weiss had to be found and somehow aided. The precaution of not meeting her eyes was still there – not because Leviathan would lash out, but because Weiss' Grimm still would. Another bleeding windows incident wouldn't do the city any good after the disasters it had just faced.

Help her from afar, without ever being seen.

Not an easy task.

That was before Rebecca and her own Grimm came into the picture.

 _And then there's school,_ he realised with a groan. With Leviathan gone, he would be safe to sleep once more, but there was still the fact he'd run away from school in the middle of a hurricane, gone missing for a couple of days – and left Cardin unconscious in the bathrooms. That was going to bite him in the ass in time, but right now, he couldn't have cared less.

 _I made a promise to Yang to look after Ruby. I'm going to see it through, even if Ruby wants to make it difficult._

"And you're not making it easy, Ruby. Believe me."

The scent led him away from the busier parts of the city and towards a residential district. Rows of rows of houses and sides streets in what was a quieter, more peaceful, part of Vale. The buildings were of new construction, but each stood alone in its own little garden with picket fences and neatly trimmed hedges. It looked like a small community straight out of a fifties flick.

Vale had such residential sections once you got away from the built-up city centre. The houses were too expensive there for him to ever own once, hence his apartment in the city itself.

Down past well-kept and beautiful homes, he found himself coming to a stop in front of one overgrown and dilapidated. Covered in vines, moss and with a garden that hadn't seen a lawnmower in years. The windows were boarded up and there was a `for sale` sign poking out from the maze of overgrown flowers.

"Come to look at the property?" a woman walking her dog said.

"Hm?" Jaune glanced back, sniffed the air. Simple perfume – a tang like peaches – but no Grimm presence on her. Just a normal woman. "Yes, I suppose I am. Heard the price was lower than anything else in the area."

Not a hard guess to make.

"Wish _someone_ would buy it. Brings down the area, you know. Still, people can be superstitious."

"About what?"

"Not my place to say, but… well, they say the family that lived here. They were murdered. Tragic tale from what I heard. The father killed his wife, then chased the children away. Killed himself soon after. Place has stood abandoned ever since." The woman shivered. "Creepy place if you ask me. Heard some people say they can still hear the wife crying late at night. Weeping over her lost life. Makes me feel ill just looking at it."

With a shake of her head and not a word more, the woman slipped away, muttering to herself.

Murder suicide, huh? Jaune sniffed the air, confirming the scent of roses and decay. Somehow, he doubted it. A mother and father killed. Two children escaping. The deaths blamed on something out of place. It had all the hallmarks of a Grimm attack.

And considering who he knew to be inside, he could make a guess as to what happened.

Pushing the little gate open, he walked through and into the garden, out of sight of the road itself. It was so overgrown that light penetrated weakly, casting him into shadow. While the grass and flowers reached up to his chest, the hedges and vines went further, forming a canopy overhead as they clung to the walls and, in some places, had caused damage to the brickwork itself.

There were vines all over the front door, sealing it shut.

At the base of those vines was a pile of ash. The vines themselves looked bright green – almost _too_ fresh. Too young.

He tore them away with one hand, ignoring the sense of foreboding that came over him.

"I'm coming in, Ruby," he said, not sure she would hear. Testing the door, he found it unlocked, if a little seized in place. He gave the bottom a kick to jar it open. The interior, as expected, was dark.

Jaune's eyes saw through it, glowing a faint blue.

Most people wouldn't have noticed that. Anyone Awakened would have.

Those that saw in two worlds reflected light from both. It was small, but, in the sheer unnaturalness of it, the added light from inside made his eyes light up. People always said the eyes were the window to the soul. He wondered if they knew just how accurate that was.

Inside, a hallway led to a flight of stairs, while several rooms branched off left and right before it and one at the end, into what might once have been a kitchen. He noticed the grooves on the walls first, long scratches like someone had dragged a nail over it. Or claws. The kitchen door was on the floor and broken on one side. Dried and cracked with age, there was still flakes of what was likely blood on it.

 _Someone slammed the door shut, locking themselves inside. They were killed and the door was knocked open. Even so, it would have bought time for those in the hallway to escape and run to safety._

Shaking his head, Jaune tore his eyes from the grisly sight and made his way to the stairs. Each of them flexed and creaked as he settled his weight on them. The banister was covered in thorny vine with small red roses blossoming on them. The higher he got, the darker they became, until, at the top, they had all wilted and died.

He heard the crying, then.

Fitful, hiccup-ridden, tears. The kind of broken sobbing that twisted a knife in the heart.

No wonder the neighbours thought it Summer's ghost. Considering the house and the difficulty getting inside, they must have assumed it abandoned. The scent of roses, tears and the pungent tang of regret told Jaune otherwise.

Reaching what looked to be a bedroom door with a stylised rose on it – drawn, this time, not an actual rose – he pushed it open and stepped inside.

The floor had become a bed of flowers in various states of decay. There was dust everywhere. The small bed was overgrown and blossoming, wilting, dying and then blossoming again in a matter of seconds, scattering petals into the air. The walls had cracked in places and looked close to coming down but were held by by vines and roots that had grown into, and through in places, the ceiling.

There, in the centre, hunched against a wall, a small figure sat with her face buried in her knees. Ruby's hoodie covered her face. Her shoulders rose and fell as she sobbed.

"Ruby…"

If anything, she cried harder.

"Yang wouldn't want you to be like this. Yang didn't give her life so that you would wallow in misery and lock yourself away."

The room shook at the mention of Yang's name. The walls creaked and dust fell from the ceiling. It was a threat. A warning.

He ignored it and took a step forward.

"Yang fought until the end. She saved my life. I was with her when she died. Do you know what she said to me? Do you know what her final words were? Look after my sister. Make sure Ruby is protected. That she doesn't feel alone. She was thinking about you at the end. You were all she ever thought about. She loved you."

"S-Stop it…" Ruby's voice cracked. It sounded like she hadn't tasted water in days.

"I promised I'd find and help you. I messed that up. Leviathan got hold of me and nearly killed me. Would have if not for someone helping me." He paused, testing the waters. "Thank you for that. You saved my life."

Ruby's body shook.

"Of course, you avenged Yang as well. I know that was probably the main reason. It's certainly what motivated me to fight. I wanted to make that fucker _pay_ for causing her death. I'm going to make Rebecca pay as well. But…" He took another step forward. "I want to fulfil my promise to her first. I want to make sure you're okay."

"Ruby…" he whispered, extending a hand.

A wall of vines shot up in front of him.

It wasn't plant growth. He knew that. The vines _grew_ naturally, albeit at a ridiculous rate. Some spread out across the floor while others wilted and died halfway through and only a small number actually survived to their full height, competing for the limited light coming through the room's window. If Ruby could control plants, that wouldn't have been necessary.

That had never been her power.

Time.

Ruby controlled time.

"Stop it!" she wept. "Stop talking! Leave me alone! I failed. I failed, I failed, I failed. I let her down!"

"You didn't let her down," he said.

"I did! You don't understand!"

"I think I do." Jaune stepped around the vines, walked up to Ruby's side and then sat down next to her. "I'm not talking about Yang. I'm talking about Ruby. You feel you let Ruby down, but you didn't. You did everything you could to protect her sister." The girl, the Grimm, next to him shuddered. "Ruby wouldn't hate you for what happened. You tried your hardest."

It was like a dam breaking.

Ruby convulsed, twisted and then tried to lash out – only to collapse halfway and _wail_ at the top of her lungs. Fighting past her attempts to push him away, he pulled the girl against his side and leaned his head atop hers, holding her close as she cried and cried.

People liked to romanticise tears. In movies or books or just on TV. It was nothing like that. It wasn't a nice sound, nor a pretty sight. She wept and sobbed brokenly, sniffling and struggling to breathe as tears ran down her face leaving ugly red tracks across her pale skin. Her hair was mattered, covered with dust and dirty beyond belief. Her clothing smelled of roses and filth.

Despite that, he held onto her.

He wasn't sure how long she cried for, but he let her. When she began to calm a little, if one could call it that, and when her sobs became painful croaks and scratchy gasps, he cupped a hand before him and summoned up the moisture in the room, pooling and purifying it in the palm of his hand. Moving his thumb gently, he made it spiral up and towards her lips.

Ruby drank greedily of it. Too tired and weak to argue.

When she was done, when she was spent, she fell against him and didn't move.

"How…" she whispered. Afraid and hurt. "How did you know…?"

"When Yang was hurt, she became delirious for a moment. I must have taken her down the same route she took when she was younger and when her parents were killed. She started to relive it, to talk of it."

He could still remember it all.

"She said that Ruby died. That Ruby closed her eyes and died…"

The girl beside him whispered brokenly. "Oh…"

"And then, I imagine, she opened them again and was okay. Except she wasn't. Her eyes were slightly different, and she had powers. Powers Yang couldn't explain and perhaps didn't want to. Maybe she convinced herself your eyes were always silver. Maybe the trauma wouldn't let her remember them as ever being different."

"They were blue…" Ruby whispered. "A beautiful baby blue."

"Ruby died that night. Didn't she?"

"I…" The girl's, the Grimm's, voice cracked. "I didn't kill her… I… She Awakened. Entered my domain. I responded to the incursion…" The words came quickly, in a rush, as if it all had to get out before she lost control again. "She was already dying, badly hurt and bleeding. The girl had collapsed in my garden and was dying on the floor when I found her. I… I admit I intended to harm her. She couldn't fight but I posed her a riddle. A game. If she lost, I would take her soul and body. If she won, I would let her go free."

"Ruby didn't play, did she?"

"No." The girl's – Ruby's – head fell against his chest.

"What did she say?"

"You can save my big sister. You can save her from the monsters. Please, help her. Help her and I'll give you my body. You can have it, whatever happens to me. Just save my big sister. Please. I love her and mommy and daddy are gone."

Jaune's eyes closed.

Beside him, she wept a little more.

"You took the deal."

"S-She was dying anyway," Ruby stammered. "I couldn't help her. Even if I slowed time in my world, it would have made no difference in hers. I-I didn't know what to do, but I knew she would die anyway. I took the deal. And then… And then I was awake, and she was over me. Looking down on me with so much _love_ and _relief_ in her eyes."

"Yang?"

"I-I always meant to tell her. To tell her the truth. But she was so happy, Jaune. Yang was so _happy_ to know Ruby was okay, even if she wasn't. I… I took the deal literally. If I had to help and protect her, then surely I could do it better if she thought Ruby was okay. J-Just a little white lie."

"I don't think Ruby would have been unhappy with it. You looked after her for years. You made Yang happy. She really did love you."

"She loved Ruby. I'm the one who killed her."

"That's not true." He pulled Ruby against his side and forced her to look at him. "You lived in Ruby's place for years. Almost ten years, I think. Do you imagine that in all that time, Yang didn't come to love _you_ as well? To actually love the person _you_ are? Yes, she thought you were Ruby, but a disguise is only as good as the person inside it. Ruby wasn't even ten when she died. We've no idea what she might have been like as a teenager. That was all you. The Ruby that grew up with Yang and fought with her against the Grimm was you."

"The way I see it, there are two Ruby Roses," he said. "The one that sacrificed her life to protect the big sister she loved, and the one who was reborn from that sacrifice. The one who loved the older sister she'd just discovered, and who was loved by Yang in turn."

Even if this Grimm had taken Ruby's place, she hadn't done as Blake had. Hadn't lived for her own amusement and done her own thing. Ruby – and he wasn't sure what else to call her – had slotted into the life left behind and kept her promise to the original Ruby, looking after and protecting her big sister for as long as she could.

And then, when Yang did fall, she had come to avenge her, taking on the Leviathan itself.

Saving his life.

"You saved me, you know. Thank you for that."

"I came for _him_ ," Ruby said. Seething. "T-That bastard killed her. T-Took her away from me. My Yang. My sister. I – I loved her! I really did love her. She was the only one to look at me with love in her eyes, the only family I've ever had, my sister. A-And he took her from me, and he _wasn't even hunting her_." Ruby screamed, causing a burst of new plant life and the walls around them to decay before his eyes.

"Ruby…"

"S-She was nothing more than a casualty. S-Some life thrown away because he wanted to come into this world. I hated him! I wanted him dead!" Ruby clenched her teeth so hard they started to grate. "I didn't even know you were there."

Without him to deal the final blow, Ruby would have likely been killed. Then again, that might have been her plan. To escape her grief by killing herself against the Leviathan. To take the small chance she might go to wherever Yang had gone when she died. That Ruby would have developed enough of a soul to pass on into the afterlife.

Jaune held her against his side.

"I didn't care what happened to me. I just… I just wanted him to suffer. Wanted him to be alone as I am now."

"You're not alone, Ruby. I'm here."

"Yang isn't…"

"She is," he said, shifting over slightly. He touched a finger to her heat. "She's in here still." And then her head. "And up here. Maybe that's all we have left, but it's still something. So long as you never forget her, she'll never truly be gone."

Ruby's face ran through a full spectrum of emotions before it settled on raw grief.

"But I don't want her memories. I want her. I want her back…"

"I know, Ruby," he said, pulling her in close. "I want her back, too."

Ruby wept against him.

/-/

"I don't know what I'm supposed to do now," Ruby admitted, what felt like almost thirty minutes later. "I… I don't even remember why I wanted to come to this world. I think it might have been curiosity, but now… I was lonely. I don't want to be trapped in my garden on my own anymore. For all eternity…"

"Is that why you came to love Yang? Because she gave you a life?"

"Yang loved Ruby. Loved me," she said, albeit with a little hesitation. "It made me feel wanted and I promised to keep her safe. All I wanted to do was live my life with her, watch her find a mate, get married, have children…"

"All _she_ wanted was the same. She wanted to see you have all those things."

Ruby laughed brokenly.

"You need to keep going, Ruby."

"Why?"

"Because it's what Yang would have wanted. She told me to look after you, to make sure you got through this. Doesn't that mean she wanted you to keep moving on? To keep living? If there is an afterlife, she's probably looking down on you to see if you do."

"Why would she be? She'll have the real Ruby now, along with mom an- Summer and Taiyang."

"That Ruby is one she hasn't known for ten years almost. She'll be worried about _you_."

Ruby bit her lip. "You want my help…"

"I do." No point in hiding it; Ruby wasn't an idiot. "You saved me against Leviathan, but there are more Grimm who will try and come through. Yang gave her life to try and protect the people of this city, of this entire world. I want to keep doing that in her stead."

"Why?" Ruby spat. "You didn't at first. You were a coward."

He let the insult go, knowing grief fuelled it. "I was. I'm trying to get better. Trying to learn from her example." He sighed. "Help us, Ruby. Help me and Ozpin try to fix this barrier and make sure no more Yang Xiao-Longs are made. No more families torn apart. No more Summer or Taiyang being killed in their homes."

Ruby looked uncertain.

He dropped the big one.

"And help me hunt down the one who sent Leviathan after me – and who is truly responsible for Yang's death."

"Her…" Ruby's eyes snapped open and began to glow a fierce silver. "T-The one who put the ritual on you. You know where she is?"

"I know what she smells like." Thanks to Blake. "And I know she's been coming back to Eastfield to try and lure me out. I also know she'll try and kill me for killing her mate. Which means that the best chance you have of finding her is to come with me."

"To Beacon…"

"Yes."

Ruby hunched into a ball. "Ozpin will know…"

"Maybe. But that's his problem. You need to come to Beacon."

"Why?"

Slowly, he placed a hand atop her head.

"Because Yang would want you there for her funeral."

/-/

"You found her," Ozpin said, stepping up to Jaune as those around the coffin made way for Ruby, all backing away so that the young girl could be with her sister. Dressed in dark colours, hunters who had known Yang had come to bid their farewells, and none knew what to do about Ruby.

Jaune watched as the young – if she was even young at all – Grimm leant her face down on Yang's chest and cried. He wanted nothing more than to go up there and help her, but maybe this was for the best. He didn't want to pull her away too soon.

"We've prepared a spot beside her parents for her," Ozpin continued. "She'll be with them at last, though I hope she'll also be with them in spirit now. She died of natural causes, so there should be no damage done to her soul."

"I know." Jaune said. "I was there."

"My apologies."

He could _smell_ Ozpin's nerves.

More than that, he could smell Ozpin's humanity. He'd half expected the old hunter to be part-Grimm himself, but it wasn't the case. He couldn't smell any other Grimm in the Beacon, not even distantly.

"You're afraid of me."

"Not afraid, Mr Arc. Cautious."

"I'm me if that's what you're asking. I'm not the Leviathan."

Except that Blake had said he was now, but that wasn't the point. He wasn't the Leviathan who had tried to destroy Vale and flood the entire state. It was enough from Ozpin's point of view.

"Oh, I am fully aware of that, Mr Arc. Your mannerisms are quite unique, not to mention your helping Ruby." Ozpin looked toward the girl as she held onto Yang. "Poor girl. Losing one so close to you is never easy. I should know."

"Experience?"

"I had a wife and children when I Awakened. Now…" Ozpin's eyes closed. "I do not."

"I'm sorry."

"It happened a long time ago. On Ruby… I presume that you have discovered the truth."

So, Ozpin really did know. Or had known. "I discovered that she's a grieving young woman who lost someone who meant the world to her. That she's more human than plenty of people I know."

Ozpin took the hint. "Yes. Yes, she is. Look after her, Mr Arc."

"I will. I promised Yang."

"What will you do now? You said before that you did not wish to fight…"

"That's changed," he admitted, bowing his head. "I'll fight now, but… I can't join the Hunters just yet. You wouldn't want me to. There's still someone after me, even if the Leviathan is gone."

"This Rebecca Farleigh?"

"Yes. Ruby and I are going to hunt her down and put a stop to her."

"I wish you success, then. Should you need our assistance in any way, do not hesitate to ask."

Jaune bit his lip.

"There is one thing you could do. Someone who needs your help. An Awakened…"

Ozpin turned towards him. "I'm all ears."

/-/

Weiss wove through the sky in swirling patterns, trying to escape the predator she knew was behind her. She could hear its might wingbeats and feel the air around her heating up with its fetid breath. Desperate, she dove down and slipped out its path, catching her breath as the huge, feathered creature hurtled by.

Not for long. It turned in a graceful and wide arc, never once losing its momentum as it turned back and aimed its razor-sharp beak for her once more.

It was happening all over again.

Blake had vanished. Disappeared. Weiss didn't know where to fin her, but it felt like she'd been abandoned. Forgotten. She'd done as requested and dragged the monster down toward the water, breaking the attack on Vale, but her reward had been nothing. The dreams kept coming. The monster kept trying to kill her.

And now, her only saviour had up and left her.

It wasn't fair.

Her body couldn't keep going. How many days had it been awake now? She wasn't sure, but here and now it had collapsed – completely given up on her. The last thing she remembered was entering her house and the maids rushing to her, asking where she'd been. Someone shouted her name as the world shifted.

Had she passed out? Probably. All the extra excitement on top of her exhaustion and sleep deprivation must have finally taken control out of her hands. Now, she was trapped here. Trapped here longer than she ever had been before. In the past, the fear and panic woke her up, meaning that she only had to escape the monster for an hour at best.

It had been over three now.

 _I… I can't keep doing this… I can barely move…_ _Someone wake me up, please. I must be tossing and turning; just wake me up and get me out of here!_

No one did. They probably thought sleep was good for her, fitful or not. Just like Blake left her, so too had her family abandoned her. If she were killed here and this monster took over, would her father even care? Would it impact his all-important election? As long as the polls were in his favour, he wouldn't care.

"Ha…" Weiss laughed bitterly. "Why even bother?"

If no one cared if she lived or died, why put up a fight? Weiss hovered in the air as the great beast lunged at her once more, its beak opening and revealing rows on rows of thin, serrated teeth. A moment of pain, a feeling of incredible force, and then there would be nothing.

Rest.

She could sleep.

Weiss closed her eyes and tried to pretend none of it was happening.

At the last second, they snapped open again. "No!" Weiss let go of everything and fell. Hurtled down and out the way of the monster as it bit down on the spot she'd occupied. Fear ran through her, thick and ice-cold, and Weiss turned away, flying down toward the glass-ocean.

 _I want to live!_ She thought, tears in her eyes. _Even if no one else cares, I don't want to die. I won't! I refuse!_

Her hand touched the water again – but like so many times before, the surface was as glass, making her fingers bounce painfully off. The monster had her trapped in its web, its open sky, and there was no escaping that.

It shrieked behind her, diving low and skimming across the ocean toward her.

Weiss flew ahead of it, trying to outpace it.

 _Just a few more hours,_ she thought, already knowing her body wouldn't manage that. _J-Just a few hours – six to ten – and I'll wake up. I-I'll be okay. I'll find Blake. I… I'll find a way out of this nightmare._

"I have to!"

Had to… Had to prove them all wrong. Prove that she wasn't insane. That thought, that vindictive determination, gave her fresh strength and she shot on, for a moment moving faster than even the monster behind could match. It screeched its fury and tried regardless, dragging its wings in tight against its side.

That was when the water ahead of Weiss began to bubble.

If it weren't directly ahead of her – a good hundred metres or so – then she'd have missed it. The word `bubbling` didn't fit it, either. It was as if someone had stuck a thousand-degree kettle under a tub of cold water. The ocean's surface was frothing and roiling, spluttering everywhere as it surged up and coiled in on itself.

Before her eyes, the water _shot_ upwards, slamming into the mirror-like barrier over the water and _shattering_ it with a horrendous sound that echoed across the whole world, _and_ her brain.

 _Tscchhh – Clink – Clink_

The mirror.

The breaking mirror.

Weiss dove for the break, even as the water splashed down and slid back into the ocean. Even as the water seemed to calm, Weiss kept her eyes on that singular point. There was no telling if the water would be any safer, but it had to be better than where she was. Right now, she was minutes away from death.

She'd accept the risks.

As she approached, the crack became less obvious. It wasn't like an actual surface but rather some invisible barrier, so she couldn't actually see the hole in it once the water had all drifted back down. Instead, she made a guess based on where she'd seen the water come up, then trailed her fingers across the barrier as she approached, waiting for the resistance beneath her to halt.

The mirror vanished. Her hand slipped down, suddenly finding nothing there. Twisting, Weiss managed to hurl herself down through that gap and _crash_ into the waves. Freezing-cold water rushed over her as the world went dark.

And then light again.

Bright blue lights – like spotlights, staring up at her.

 _Drip – Drip_

Eyes.

Weiss screamed into the water, expelling bubbles and all the air in her lungs as she kicked and kicked, trying to get out. She'd take the monster in the sky – at least there, she could move freely. The water felt heavy, like it was clinging onto her limbs and holding her in place.

The giant eel-like monster began to sweep upward, powering towards her.

Weiss screamed.

The water… shifted.

It was hard to explain – only that the weight holding her down _yanked_ her to the side, sweeping her through the water as if she were held by the tentacle of a Kraken. The force let go a moment later, flicking her up towards the surface. Weiss' head broke through it and she gasped for breath.

Then froze as a wall of scales and flesh tore though the ocean's surface in front of her, right where she'd been. Like a waterfall of silvery scales dripping with water and moss, the beast lunged up out of the water, tore through the mirror barrier as though it were paper, and _slammed_ into the avian beast chasing her.

Both it and the water-dwelling beast were carried upward, until gravity took its toll and they both fell – the Lord of the Skies dragged down by what must have been the Lord of the Ocean. With a furious screech, they crashed down into the water. The scales before her hadn't even stopped leaving the water. It was so gargantuan that it had leapt up and out without even revealing its full body.

Something gave way. A crack, a horrible sound of tearing flesh, and then the Lord of the Skies was free, flapping its great wings awkwardly as it dragged itself out the water, sporting a huge hole in one wing, a great chunk of its limb missing. Weiss watched in shock as it glared directly down at her and then flew away, pulling up into the clouds.

Leaving her with the giant creature in the water.

 _Maybe it hasn't seen me. If it's busy with the Lord of the Skies…_

Giant blue eyes met her own from just below the water. Though hazy and shimmery under the waves, the focus on her was unmistakeable.

Weiss' heart froze.

And then, slowly, the huge sea-creature vanished into the deeps.

"What…?"

Did it…? But…? Weiss' brain swirled. Relief mixed with disbelief and fatigue to just leave her in a state of catatonic shock. Her body fell back, floating atop the water's surface as she caught her breath and tried to process the situation.

In the end, no answers came.

/-/

Weiss woke with the beeping of an alarm beside her bed.

9:00 the red numbers on it blinked. Nine in the morning; late for school, though likely not an issue given her collapse and the state of things in Vale. That held little of her attention, though. Sitting up, Weiss brought her hands before her face and looked down on them.

Alive. She was alive.

Though her hands were wet… curiously, she brought one to her nose and smelt the subtle tang of the ocean. It hadn't been her imagination, then. She'd escaped into the ocean, been found by another of those nightmarish monsters, and then… it left her alone.

Let her sleep.

The first uninterrupted night's sleep in weeks.

Falling back onto her cushions, Weiss stared up at the celling, confused.

 _Drip – Drip_

* * *

 **Why is everyone dying in this story!?**

 **Well, it's a tough one. Technically, the Ruby Rose that died was NOT the Ruby Rose of canon RWBY. That's the Grimm, both in personality and in mind. The idea is that, like Blake, the original person that they both were, was an OC that died before the story began.** **This IS Ruby from RWBY, not an OC Grimm in her place. Just trying to kind of make that clear. The OC was the original Ruby, the one who died as a child and wished for the monster she found to look after her sister and protect her from the** _ **scarier**_ **monsters.**

 **Complicated business.**

 **Some people absolutely called this in reviews and in my forum before, though (that this RWBY was a Grimm pretending to be Ruby Rose). Good job for seeing the little hints – and Yang's absolute confirmation in her dying moment of saying that Ruby died.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 3rd March**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	23. Chapter 23

**Here we go, etc. Pleased to see people liked the twist last chapter, those who were surprised by it anyway. Quite a few caught on or were, if not on the money, really close to it. I know some people are still kinda upset about Yang and think it could have been done differently. If I remember, I'll go into the reasons I wanted Yang to die at the end of this fic.**

 **That's not close, though, so it'll depend entirely on whether I remember. Or if people remind me.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 23**

* * *

Eastfield.

 _It feels like it's been weeks since I came here. It's only been a couple of days._

The walls stood tall and showed signs of damage in places, with a few windows broken in the storm and cordoned off, awaiting repair. Posters stuck to the walls by the entrance detailed class and assignment changes as windows, roofs and piping systems were being fixed. Another detailed those unfortunate enough to have lost their lives in the storm.

Yang was possibly upon that list, but Jaune walked by and ignored it. It hurt too much to think on those who had died, and more so when the niggling feeling it might be _his_ fault came to the fore. It wasn't. It was Rebecca and the Leviathan's fault. Now, one lay dead and the other was next in line.

Numerous scents assaulted his nostrils as he stepped into the hallway leading on to the lockers. Smelling gym wear, sweat and an over abundance of both perfume and aftershave. The sharp smells had him gagging for a second, but he fought past it. It would take some time to get used to. Above it all, faintly, he could make out the smell of fire and ash.

 _Rebecca. She was here recently…_

Not now, judging by how the smell was fading. She might have been there the night before, or the night before that. He'd have to do some digging later and see what he could find. See if he couldn't identify what rooms she frequented and when.

It didn't take long to dump his stuff away and make it to the classroom. Nora and Ren were waiting inside, and both rounded on the door the second it opened. Ren actually looked away when he came in, then snapped back as he realised it was _actually_ him. Nora had already leapt off her chair and rushed forward. She hit Jaune like a meteorite, arms wrapping around him.

"Oh my God I thought you were dead!"

"Sorry, I-" Jaune broke off with a wheeze as Nora slammed her fist into his stomach.

"Why didn't you return our messages!? I thought you were dead!"

"M-My phone b-broke…"

Nora winced. "Oops."

"If you can refrain from breaking him as well," Ren said, peeling Nora away. He was as calm as ever, but the relief was clear in him. "It's good to see you alive and well, Jaune. Saphron contacted us to say they'd found you, and I passed the news onto Nora as soon as I could." Ren hesitated for a moment, and then stepped forward, hugging him. "It's such a relief to see you alive and well. We really did think the worst."

They'd have been right to think it. They _were_ right to think it. Not breaking down then and there was the hardest thing. He'd thought it difficult with his family, but that was over the phone and with distance between them. Here and now, both seeing and feeling their worry for him, he almost lost it.

"I… I won't say I'm fine, guys. Bad shit happened. But… I'm okay. I'm still breathing."

"What happened?" Nora asked.

"I was caught in the storm. I was with Yang…" He didn't bother to explain why, or what they were doing. "We got trapped in a building that collapsed. Yang…" He swallowed. "She didn't make it out."

Ren's eyes closed. "I'm so sorry. I know… The two of you were close. Somehow."

"Jaune…" Nora whispered, concerned.

"I'm okay, guys. It hurts, but we had some time to talk before she… before she left. I won't pretend everything is okay, but you don't need to worry about me falling to pieces. On the bright side, if you can call it that, this has driven the trauma out of me. I can sleep again."

It was scant comfort and they knew it, but Ren played along and grinned. "That's good. Purple eyeliner really didn't suit you."

"Don't listen to Renny; he's just jealous."

"Well, I do have a lot to be jealous of. Like my incredible physique." Jaune flexed his non-existent muscles. "Seriously, though. Sorry for worrying you guys. I would have got in touch, but I wasn't even able to call my parents until yesterday."

"I know," Ren said. "They were in touch with me everyday to ask if I'd seen or heard from you. Nora and I spent the weekend walking around all the hospitals trying to see if you'd been brought in or if anyone had heard from you."

He felt even worse for making them, though it wasn't like he could have done anything. He'd been unconscious on the bottom of the reservoir, somehow not drowning. He'd make it up to them, but only by being the best friend he could be.

For now, neither had Awoken. He knew because they didn't seem to notice the way his eyes glowed, nor did they smell of any Grimm. Ren and Nora were just two normal humans living their normal lives. If he had his way, it would stay like that.

"Do you want to do something this weekend together?" Nora asked, almost desperately. "Maybe go shopping again, just the three of us?"

"Maybe." It was a few days and Rebecca was a more pressing concern, but Ruby and he would be tackling that as soon as humanly possible, and certainly not during the daytime. "Would you mind if I brought a friend along? Yang's sister. She's… not taking things so well and I want to get her out and about."

"Of course! The more the merrier."

"Alright. Saturday?"

"Yep!" Nora giggled, just happy to have things back to normal. She hugged him again, albeit much more gently than before. "Thanks for coming back, Jaune," she whispered. "Thanks for surviving."

"Heh. No problem."

/-/

Lessons through the day were made more complicated by the repair work going on, with Nora and Ren having to guide him to completely different classrooms and even a substitute teacher at one spot – the math teacher having taken a nasty tumble holding a door open for students during the storm. He was alive, but with a badly broken shoulder and many well-wishes from the students he'd helped. Looked like he was being put forward as something of a local hero.

And that was the narrative of it all, really. Big hurricane, probably caused by climate change – or God's anger at something or other, for some people – and everything else after it was just human nature. People died to looters and opportunistic criminals instead of Grimm. It probably helped sell the image that those hunters who were killed had weapons on them. Already, there was talk of gang violence in Vale. The Hunters being the gang members.

Life moved on. People moved on. Some spread conspiracy theories on how China or Russia were behind it, or the lizard-people, but those were believed even less than the actual truth of the Grimm.

At the end of the day, no one cared about him. Other than friends and family of course. He was just one more kid among hundreds, and the teachers didn't even remember how he ran away. They were probably just relieved not to have to add another student to the list of mortalities. His teachers for the day all said it was good to see him alive and well, poked him in the direction of free counselling if he wanted it, and then let him get on with his life.

Everyone was just trying to forget what happened.

Except for one person.

They found him while he was sniffing around upstairs, literally sniffing around the for scent of burning ash that permeated the building, trying to tell if it was Rebecca being here recently, or just the lingering scent from her having worked at the school for years.

The first warning he got that he wasn't alone was a meaty fist striking the back of his head.

"Ugh!" Jaune fell to one knee. Instincts flaring, he rolled forward – desperate to escape whatever Grimm was behind. He came up standing, looking back. No Grimm. Human. "Cardin…"

"You've got a lot of nerve coming back here, Jaune." Cardin's voice was as sharp as ice. The brute towered over him, heaving angrily. "I had to go to the hospital because of you. You fucking left me!"

"What?"

"You left me in the hurricane, you prick!" Cardin roared. "When those fucking toilets went up and I fell back, you left me there, bleeding from my head."

When he fell? The storm? Had Cardin gone so far to not Awaken that he'd rationalised Jaune's actions and sudden strength as being something that happened because the hurricane knocked him back? It seemed like it. Leviathan aside, he didn't feel very sympathetic for the guy.

"You were in a safe enough spot, Cardin. Not to mention you were trying to break my leg at the time."

"Oh, I'm gonna do worse than that to you, you little prick." As ever, Cardin was flanked by his posse; Sky, Russel and Dove. "I was gonna let you go easy before, but I haven't heard about you resigning from the team. You still thinking to steal my girl?"

Team? "Christ, Cardin. I've just got back from a fucking natural disaster. I don't care about the team, Pyrrha or girls in general right now. Just… Just leave it be." He turned away and shook his head. "This isn't worth it." With all the things going on, with the threat to the human race. This…? "It's pathetic. You're not worth my time."

He walked away.

"What? Not prepared to defend yourself now that your girlfriend is dead?"

Jaune froze.

"Excuse me…?"

"I heard the news," Cardin said, laughing cruelly. "The Dragon got herself killed. Damn shame. Probably died _of_ shame at having someone like you for a boyfriend."

Jaune stared at the corridor ahead of him. Something bubbled up inside and for a moment he imagined the entire corridor submerged in water. He could feel it around him. His body in the other world had woken up.

Slowly, he forced it back to sleep.

"Never," he hissed, "Talk about Yang like that again."

"She's not around to pull your ass out the fire this time, Jauney."

"Have some fucking respect, Cardin!"

"Why?" Cardin sauntered up and laid a hand on his shoulder. "She's dead anyway. Who gives a fuck?"

Jaune's eyes flashed.

He moved without thinking, grabbed Cardin's arm and twisted it to the side, pulling the brute off his feet. His hand settled on the back of Cardin's skull and with a loud yell, Jaune drove him into the nearest wall. It was a door, luckily for Cardin. He slammed into and through it and didn't have his neck broken.

He still collapsed on his back, staring up at the ceiling, dazed.

"Fucking shit!" Dove yelled, throwing a punch towards him.

Jaune deflected it with one arm, but not perfectly. It skimmed by and struck his cheek, snapping his head to the side. It hurt. It hurt a lot. Nowhere close to how much losing Yang hurt, or how much Leviathan had hurt him.

He'd kept going then. Kept fighting.

He did the same now.

Dove landed another blow to his shoulder, but Jaune pushed past it and rammed his fist into the boy's face, breaking his nose. Russel appeared behind and wrapped his arms around him, holding him in place while Dove fell and Sky took his place, punching Jaune in the stomach three times.

Growling, Jaune slammed his head back into Russel's face. The first blow weakened the boy's arms and the second had Russel falling back. The third wasn't necessary – but sure felt fucking good. Russel fell with a cry.

Sky's fist buried itself in his kidney and he grunted, falling onto one knee. Cardin was up and barrelling out the room with an expression of pure fury. Ignoring Sky entirely, Jaune rushed forward and tackled Cardin around the waist, carrying him back inside. Elbows slammed down on his spine, but he ignored it.

Together, he and Cardin fell, with Jaune on top.

"Don't! Talk! About! Yang! Again!" Jaune yelled, punctuating each word with a solid blow.

He wasn't stronger than he had been before. He wasn't faster. He wasn't more resilient, and he wasn't any more skilled. The only thing that had changed, apart from the powers he was too angry to use, was his mindset.

Through a split lip, a bloody nose and an eye half swollen shut, Jaune continued to rain blow after blow on Cardin, ignoring every attack that came back. Ignoring the pain. What did it matter? What did any of it matter?

Everything hurt.

But as long as you were still alive, you could fight. He'd fought through pain so much worse than this to kill the Leviathan. He would not be cowed by a bunch of _fucking_ school bullies. Jaune spat the blood out of his mouth, linked both hands above him and brought them down, striking Cardin's face hard and knocking him out once and for all.

Dove and Sky fell on him from behind, knocking him off and pinning him down.

Jaune lashed out with fists, knees, elbows and forehead. Whatever he had to in order to cause them as much pain as humanly possible. Deep in his mind, the fact that they were made up of so much water came to him and he reached out, eager to see what it could do.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!?" a voice screamed.

Miss Glynda Goodwitch, headmistress of Eastfield High, stood on the other end of the door, surrounded by students all watching in fear and awe as Jaune sat bloody among a pile of groaning and broken bodies.

"Oh shit…"

/-/

"I can understand that you have faced some significant trauma of late, Mr Arc, but that does not excuse your actions." Miss Goodwitch sat behind her desk, indomitable and frightening. They were alone in her office, which might have been a good thing.

Considering what he'd done, he half-expected the police.

"They goaded me," he said.

"Then you should have risen above it."

"They insulted Yang!"

Miss Goodwitch paused. Her expression twisted. "I see. That is… unfortunate. I will have words with Mr Winchester and his companions, and you can rest assured they will also be punished for starting a fight on the school grounds, but I hope you will understand that I cannot let you go free, either. Whatever their motive, you escalated. It is you who threw the first punch."

"Tch." Jaune bit his lip, accidentally re-opening it and causing blood to spill free.

"Here." Miss Goodwitch offered him some tissue, which he held to the wound. "If this were any other situation, Mr Arc, I would be looking at possible expulsion. Fights happen and we do our best to step in, but this level of brutality has never been seen before. Mr Thrush has two teeth knocked loose, while Mr Winchester's nose is badly broken."

Good.

"You said if this were any _other_ situation…"

"Considering events that have transpired recently," she said slowly, "I am considering giving you a reprieve this one time. Just this once," she added, glaring at him over her glasses. "This is your first day back after a harrowing experience and no one can expect you to not be affected by it. That said, you must still be punished."

"Fine." There wasn't much he could say. "What am I getting?"

"You will be suspended for the next three days – until Monday next week. As a kindness, I will leave you to inform your family. Mr Winchester and his friends will face the same suspension. Once you all return on Monday, you will serve extended detention. Together. And I will _not_ hear of any more battles being waged in my halls. Understood?"

"Yes Miss Goodwitch."

It wasn't fair, not in an ideal world, but it was fair enough. She wasn't expelling him, and three days wasn't that much to lose. Given that he was getting off this easily, she probably couldn't afford to give Cardin and his crew any longer a suspension. Cardin's parents would be filing a complaint anyway.

"I trust you know your way out, Mr Arc. Do not let us meet like this again."

/-/

"Jaune Arc? To Cardin? Seriously? Isn't he a dweeb…?"

"Saw him myself. Covered in blood. Just… punched them all out."

"Like a wild animal…"

"Shh. Here he comes."

The crowds in the corridor parted as the blond teen walked by, his lip split and his uniform speckled with dried blood, dust and sweat. He looked like he'd come out of gladiatorial combat, and, given the rumours, might have.

No one was sure to what to make of it or him. The status quo had changed.

"I heard he hated the Dragon…"

"Don't talk ill of the dead!"

"I'm not, but they say Cardin did in front of him and got punished for it."

"Think he's going to take her spot?"

"I think he's going to go apeshit if he hears you say that."

He ignored all of it. Head held high, the boy walked through the crowds obviously gossiping about him, pausing only to nod and smile at a pair of worried students off to one side. That small kindness done, he made his way to the school entrance and stepped out into the midday sun, walking away with his hands in his pockets.

Weiss hovered inside, half hidden behind a turn in the corridor but watching as everyone else was.

It was the boy. The boy that Blake warned her not to get close to, who had evoked so strong a reaction from the monster in the mirror. Weiss clutched the wall and wondered what she was supposed to do now. With Blake gone, he was the only person she knew of who had any inkling as to what was going on.

But going near him, even meeting his eyes, caused the monster chasing her to go insane, often to the detriment of other people in the area. If that happened again, the city might be put in danger.

That wasn't what held her back, though.

She'd met him before. Only briefly, but the agony was enough that his face was seared into her mind. He'd looked shy and uncomfortable then, with dark blue eyes. The man she saw now – well, it was a _man_ for one and not a boy. Secondly, he carried himself differently. He'd been suspended and beaten up in a fight, win or not, and he didn't look bothered by it.

If anything, he looked pleased with the outcome…

And beyond that, though no one else commented on it, his eyes had changed. They were no longer a deep and dark blue, nor human at all. They were a bright, eldritch teal colour, glowing with otherworldly light like stained-glass windows.

Just like Blake's had.

/-/

Jaune met Ruby at his apartment when the sun set. The girl – Grimm. No, Ruby – was waiting outside his door with her hood drawn up and her eyes shining from within like little silver gems. They narrowed on the state of his face immediately.

"It wasn't an attack," he said. "Not a real one. Just some idiots at school."

He chose not to mention Yang. It would only make things worse for Ruby, who was still gripped with grief and loss. All she'd done now was set it aside for vengeance. "I could heal it for you," she offered, holding out a hand.

"Heal…?"

"Time heals all wounds. At least those that aren't fatal…"

"Let's leave it for now. I trust you, but I'm not sure what people will think if they see me bashed up one day and fine the next. Unlike you, I live with people who might react to that kind of thing."

Ruby's smile was wan. "Good point. Did you find her?"

"I picked up her scent, but it was old. Days at least. I think she's stayed away from the school since Leviathan was killed. Not sure if she's trying to hide or not…"

"She isn't."

"How can you tell?"

"If she wanted to hide, she would just leave," Ruby said, turning to grip the balcony outside his door and look out over the surroundings. "This isn't her territory. It was Blake's. I guess it's yours now. Either way, it was never hers and she has no reason to stay other than for Leviathan."

"What if she escaped today?" he asked.

"She hasn't."

"How can you tell?"

"The airport closed down after the hurricane and the train tracks were damaged. They're keeping them shut for the sake of safety or in case more winds come. The only way out of the city is by car, and I watched the highway today. If she tried to pass, I would have smelled her."

Jaune caught her shoulder. "I thought we agreed not to face her alone?"

"I wasn't going to face her; I was just keeping watch. No different from what you did going to Eastfield when you knew she might be there." Ruby pulled free and tugged her hood a little tighter. "I'm not going to do anything stupid, Jaune."

"I didn't mean to suggest that."

"I'm not going to get myself killed to avenge Yang, either. She… I think she'd be angry if I did that."

"You think?" He laughed and bumped shoulders with her. "I _know_ she'd be angry."

Ruby giggled. "Yeah. I guess so." She shook her head. "But the main reason is that Rebecca is probably as strong as Leviathan. I can't fight that on my own and I want her to suffer. I want her to die for what she did to Yang."

Jaune winced. He'd have liked Ruby to be a little better than that, but it was asking too much, too soon. She was still grieving. Hopefully, she'd start to move on once time passed. Ironic, given her power.

For now, he didn't bother with the sanctimonious bullshit. Ruby didn't want to hear it.

"Right. She's still in the city, then. And if Blake is right, she'll be coming for me."

"Mhm. Either in this world or the other."

"Blake says I'll know if she enters the ocean. Besides, if she wants to kill me properly, it'll have to be here. Killing me in the Leviathan's body will only rob me of that. It'll make me weaker, but I'm not sure she thinks I'm a threat to her anyway."

"Leviathan didn't and he paid the price. I doubt she'll be as arrogant now."

"Maybe. Any ideas where she might be?"

"Somewhere far away from the reservoir," Ruby answered immediately. "She knows what power _you_ have and what domain you'll be strongest in. If I wanted to kill you and knew you were looking for me, I'd stay away from running water."

"Kind of hard in the city. Pipes everywhere."

"Yeah, but she can pick somewhere with less."

"You have an idea?"

"Maybe." Ruby made her way to the staircase. "Follow me."

/-/

Contrary to expectation, they weren't walking. Ruby had her phone out the moment she reached the bottom and was obviously talking to someone at Beacon. It only took fifteen minutes for a car to pull up. Not the same one that had taken the two of them and Yang to the hospital, but someone else. The woman flashed them a quick grin and a "hello" before listening to Ruby's directions. Satisfied, she nodded and told them to climb in.

"Help from Ozpin?" Jaune asked.

"She'll be less likely to smell us if we come by car – and Ozpin wants her gone, too."

"How does the car thing work? Does it mask our scent?"

"A little, but that's not the main reason. It's about speed. If it takes us thirty minutes to walk, that's thirty minutes of our scent slowly coming closer. If we get there in five, she has less time to react."

Hm. He'd made that more complicated than it had to be. It wasn't about smell, sense or the iron car surrounding them at all. Just speed. "Makes sense. Where we headed?"

"There's an old mall me and Yang were investigating before the Nightmares started to come back. We found a few Grimm there, and one serial killer, but the disappearances didn't stop. I don't know if it'll be her, but _someone_ is using it as their domain. If it's not Rebecca, then whoever it is might know where to find her."

"And if it is?"

Ruby pulled her pocket open, revealing a handgun. "Then we kill her."

Such simple words. Frightening words. Before, he would have balked at them.

Now, he nodded.

"Fair enough. It occurs to me that I'm a little unarmed though…"

Without a word, Ruby offered him the gun. He took it and laid it on his lap, listening as she pointed to the little button on the side and explained how the safety worked, how to hold it and how to fire. He _had_ used some guns before when Dad took him and his sisters to the range, but he listened anyway, not wanting to trip up if it was different from what he was used to.

When the car pulled into a nearly empty car park, Ruby ushered him to put the weapon away. The evening was only just approaching, the sun still in the sky. The mall was closing up but would be open for another thirty or forty minutes.

"I've got to get to Beacon before the sun sets," the driver said. "You two be okay?"

"We'll be fine," Ruby said. "Thank you for the lift."

"No problem. Hey. Give 'em hell for me. We lost too many good folks to that bitch. Make her suffer."

"We will!"

"If she's here," Jaune added a little more reasonably. He climbed out of the car and held the door open for Ruby to do the same. People all around were just making to leave, some with shopping and other stuff. Closing the door behind him, Jaune stepped aside as the car pulled out and away. "I take it we're waiting for everyone to clear out first."

"Yep. We don't want to involve innocents."

"Won't there be a night cop or something?"

"They won't get involved. When Yang and I came last time, we found the place overrun by the homeless at night. There's nothing we can do about that," she said, noticing his concern. "We'll have to be careful, but we can't scare them away. They won't listen to us until we threaten them, and if we pull out a weapon, the police will be on their way."

"Right. We'll just have to keep them safe as well, I guess."

"They'll stay out the way." Ruby smiled sadly. "The homeless learn to do that…"

Harsh, but not untrue. Vale wasn't cruel by any means, but the people who lived here were still people. It was all too common for those in bad situations to be treat like they were somehow deserving of it all.

The best they could do was get rid of Rebecca before any of them were put in danger. They'd sleep easier if there wasn't a Grimm around to prey on them. _Though, it makes me wonder why she chose me when there were so many other people around. Why pick some random guy from school to be the next host of Leviathan?_

Unless…

He was probably overthinking it. Back then, he'd been even less of a threat than the average person. A complete coward and a weakling too afraid to fight back. Why not choose someone like that to be hunted? What were the odds such prey would ever turn on its predator?

Just plain old bad luck on Leviathan's part.

Bad luck, and the animosity of a Grimm that could control time.

As an hour passed, the sun began to set, casting the city in shades of red and purple. So soon after the last Nightmare, and with no Leviathan to spark another so quickly, the Grimm presence would be weak tonight.

The perfect opportunity.

As the last cars pulled out of the parking lot, Ruby pushed off the wall she was leaning against and walked around the back of the mall, leading him to a small side-entrance guarded by a wrought iron fence with a little padlock on it.

Touching it, Ruby's eyes flashed.

The metal weakened, cracked and crumbled, falling to their feet with a soft clink. The gate swung open, granting them access into the depths of the mall. Sighing, Jaune drew up his own hood, prepared for any cameras that lay within.

On the air, the scent of fire and ash wafted to their nostrils.

"She's here."

"I know." Ruby sniffed once. "She knows, too. She's preparing for us."

"Then I guess we'd best not keep her waiting."

/-/

"Weiss Schnee?"

Weiss stiffened as the stranger addressed her over the low wall of her property, ignoring her chauffer, who looked over suspiciously, ready to step in if the stranger tried anything. It was a girl with long brown hair and brown eyes, who was smiling patiently. Realising she was awaiting a response, Weiss nodded.

"That's me. Can I help you…?"

"Maybe. It's more that I might be able to help you. I work at an establishment nearby – on the Water's Edge Boulevard. It's called the Beacon. You'd recognise it by the lighthouse."

"Vale doesn't have a lighthouse," her chauffer said, stepping in.

Weiss remained silent.

The girl met her eyes knowingly.

They _both_ knew there was a lighthouse out there. Even though it was impossible, and Weiss had never mentioned it to anyone for fear of what they might think, she had seen it. "Who are you?" Weiss demanded.

"My name is Velvet. My employer is something of a specialist in dreams and a mutual friend said you might have a passing interest." Velvet held out a small black book bound in leather. It looked more like a notebook or journal than an actual hardback. "He asked me to deliver this to you. Said you'd know what it was about."

She didn't, but she knew what the girl meant.

"Yes. Thank you. I was waiting for this to be delivered."

The chauffer relaxed.

"Glad to be of help, Miss Schnee." Velvet smiled. "If you ever need any help – no matter what the cause – please don't hesitate to seek us out. We've lived in Vale for a long time, so we know how things work. We look after one another. Keep each other safe through stormy nights."

Weiss itched to ask more but held back. The book was burning a hole in her hand. Her fingers itched to tear it open and begin reading.

"Tell your employer thank you. If I need you again, can I call on you?"

"Sure. Our number is in there. We also serve good food and drink day and night, so you can pop in to say hello if you have a chance. The Waters Edge is a premier shopping district, so there's plenty to do on a weekend."

Nodding, Weiss stepped back. "Sounds interesting. I'll see if I can't visit this Saturday."

"Great." The girl smiled. "Ozpin and I will look forward to meeting you properly."

The girl turned and left, waving one last time to both her and the chauffer. Humming, the elderly man finished locking up the car, mumbling to himself about kids these days. Weiss didn't hear any more, slipping into the house and bundling the book into her schoolbag before anyone could think to take a look at it or take it away from her. At any other time, the staff would have been more suspicious, but they were all in a good mood thanks to her uninterrupted sleep the night before.

They saw it as a sign of her improving.

To Weiss, it was nothing but more confusion.

Going to bed that night, she lay back prepared for nightmares, and fell asleep to the gentle and soothing sound of the deep sea, and the distant echo of some gargantuan beast rumbling and snoring in the depths.

Yet again, her sleep was peaceful.

* * *

 **Jaune. The only guy whose definition of sleeping with a girl is the girl going to sleep and finding that better than any sex. Zing! Joking aside, there's the chapter. Jaune has a different mindset and Ruby joins him on the hunt for Rebecca.**

 **And yeah, it's the mall from the start of the story. Chekhov's gun ho!**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 10** **th** **March**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	24. Chapter 24

**Just so everyone knows, I now have the days this month I will be absent from fanfiction for my work expo. It is from Sat 23** **rd** **– Fri 29** **th** **, with no stories being uploaded in that period. For this fic in particular that will mean no update on the 24** **th** **March, but everything will continue as normal from after that.**

 **If in doubt, refer to the dates at the bottom for next chapter, etc.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 24**

* * *

 _Drip – Drip_

There was someone in his domain.

He wasn't sure where the absolute certainty came from, but he could sense that his body wasn't alone – that the borders of his territory had been breached. There was an instinctual desire, almost a need, to push forth and investigate that but he let it go. Who or whatever they were, they weren't causing any immediate problems.

Reaching a corner, Ruby peeked her head out first and looked around the interior of the mall, holding a hand back to tell him to stop. He was the one with the gun, but Ruby was still more dangerous than him. At least without water nearby.

Probably still with…

"Why a mall?" Jaune whispered. "Seems so risky. Too many people."

"That's what gives her confidence. Plenty of scents to hide her own. Lots of people to prey on; most of them homeless and quick to be forgotten by the city." Sniffing the air, Ruby drew back. "The scent is weak here."

Following her lead, Jaune took a deep breath. Blake described the smell as fire and ash, but that was too specific for him. If anything, Rebecca smelled like that strange tang in the air after a candle had been blown out but was still giving off a little smoke. That moment where you could find an earthy, burning smell. Maybe toast as well, if toast was left so long it burned to nothing.

"Does it mean she's not here?"

"No. She is. Just not _here_."

"Second floor?"

"Maybe. We should check. Hoods up and hide the weapons."

Jaune stashed the gun away but already had his hoodie drawn up, Neither of them looked homeless; not like the people already here. They weren't causing trouble, burning barrels or anything stereotypically insulting. Most of them were finding safe and comfortable spots to sleep, sometimes in the windowfronts of stores or on benches. Those that didn't have anti-homeless measures to make them less comfortable to sleep on.

Ruby and Jaune stood out if only for the quality of their clothing and the purposeful way they walked through the mall. Anyone watching on CCTV would be able to tell, but then, anyone watching on CCTV should have known about the homeless population already.

He wondered if it was sympathy which held security's hand or bone idleness. Were they holding back from calling the police because they wanted to give the people somewhere to stay, or because acknowledging their existence would require more work? Whatever the case, they weren't about to call the police on the two of them either. Unless they caused trouble.

The automatic escalators were turned off, but they still served as stairs. The homeless population stuck to the ground floor. The first floor contained only a few, some of whom were cooking on a small stove fire.

Pork by the smell of it. The fire didn't help in locating Rebecca.

"Higher," Ruby said, sensing more than he, or just making an educated guess. "Smoke rises," she explained, answering the unasked question. "If she wants to hide, you'd hide where the smell is reasonable. Expected."

"Is that why _I_ stood out so much?"

"Hm." Ruby nodded. "The ocean in Vale? Isn't very reasonable…"

That explained how Blake found him so quickly after he Awakened. Bad enough he'd entered her domain but stinking like the deep sea. It was a miracle she hadn't killed him straight away. That or planning on her part. With Blake, it was almost certainly the latter.

As they reached the top floor, not including the roof, a new smell assaulted his nostrils. Ozone.

"Wait." He held a hand out. "At the school when I first Awakened, Rebecca used some… I guess you'd call it magic. She put up a barrier of some sort that killed a Grimm chasing me. Burned it to ash with lightning."

Sniffing, Ruby caught his meaning. "Like a trap?"

"Yeah."

Ducking low, Jaune picked up a pebble from a flower display and threw it forward.

It clacked harmlessly to the floor.

"Or maybe I'm wrong…"

"A pebble isn't Grimm," Ruby said with a dry laugh. "If you threw one from _our_ world maybe." Pulling forth her scythe, she nicked her finger, drawing a tiny amount of blood. Dragging her hand forward, she flicked the blood off. It sizzled and burned in the air about a metre in front of them. Smoke poured from it until it hit the floor and was incinerated.

"Shit…"

"Good instincts," Ruby complimented.

"How did the blood count as Grimm? It was human…"

"It's infused with my presence by now. Yours, too. We're not quite human and not quite Grimm in these forms. Something in between. It would be enough to set this off, otherwise she wouldn't have bothered erecting it in the first place."

"How do we get through it?"

Ruby huffed. "We wait for it to fail."

"Wait? How long will that-" He trailed off as Ruby held out a hand and clenched it into a fist. In front of them, the tiles on the floor began to darken and crack, the mortar between them grinding down to dust. The three he'd taken the pebble from shrivelled and died. "Right. Time…"

Stopping her assault, Ruby flicked some more blood and then nodded when it splashed down on the floor, unimpeded. Walking up to it, she stepped over it. The blood turned to dust and floated away a moment later, aged in an instant. "No evidence," she explained.

"Apart from all the CCTV…"

"If they saw anything, they'll assume acid or a chemical weapon."

"Oh goodie. That won't cause a panic…"

"Less panic than more Nightmares will," Ruby said defensively.

"You're right. Sorry." At least conspiracy theories couldn't hurt people. Well, except the anti-vaxxers. "Do you think it'll mean the end of Nightmares?"

"I don't think so." Ruby said, stepping across the boundary and moving past some fashion stores on the second-floor balcony. "I don't think Leviathan and this one are solely responsible for the weakening boundary. They've pushed it and are probably the reason why the Nightmares have been coming more commonly, but Ozpin says this has been going on for decades."

So, even if they won here, all they would buy was time. A moment of safety for Vale, but not a solution for the entire human race, or the world at large.

"It's still worth doing," Ruby argued. "The boundary has existed forever. It's probably _always_ been there, just getting weaker as a result of human… beliefs, I guess. More people believe stranger things with the internet around."

"You mean like how conspiracy groups get a louder voice?"

"Yep. More flat-earthers than ever because the internet lets them meet, talk and convince more people. You've also got horror movies and books with monsters in, which makes people more susceptible to Awakening."

"But how does that equate to older times? People used to be a lot more superstitious back in the day. Wendigos, Gods, mythology…"

"Maybe they didn't really believe," Ruby said. "Or maybe there was just _less people_. I read that there were only half a billion people on the planet in the 16th century. Now there are almost eight billion in the 21st. Even if a lot of the people back then might have Awakened, it might not have been enough to cause a rift."

 _Huh. I guess social media really is to blame for all the world's troubles. Nice…_

"Does that mean we're ultimately doomed?"

"I don't know. Maybe there's another solution. Maybe people just need to refuse to believe, or maybe another world war will gut the population back down again. That's not our job though, is it?" Ruby looked his way. "We're here to avenge Yang."

"And save Vale…"

"Yeah." Ruby looked away. "Of course."

Small steps. Start with vengeance, then move onto other things. It was enough that she was willing to help in the first place. The motives could wait.

A sudden tang of acrid smoke caught his nose.

Ruby's, too. "She's here."

An electronics store.

Why?

Ruby pushed him back and looked to the front entrance, holding out her hand again. The metal grills down over the windows rusted and warped before their eyes. The wooden door, solid oak, aged and turned rotten. There was a shimmer and a crack as another barrier set up to kill them faded out of existence.

There was no more ozone on the air.

Ruby's scythe tore through the door, destroying it and setting off the alarm within. It blared out angrily, lights flashing as the police were alerted. Ruby marched through the door uncaring. Jaune followed a little more nervously.

TVs and computer monitors covered the shelving units. Keyboards, stereo systems and headphones, along with a display of mobile phones off to one side. In the middle of all that, stood with her back to a row of LCD screens, Rebecca Farleigh awaited them.

She was exactly as he remembered. Perfect skin, serene face, bright yellow eyes and the most lustrous dark hair that fell in waves over her shoulders. Beautiful, deadly. Inhuman. She didn't have a weapon on her. Not even so much as a knife.

"Hello Jaune. I did wonder what was taking you. I sensed your arrival. The moment you stepped foot in the mall. Even the moment you arrived in the car park. You certainly know how to keep a woman waiting." Her lips drew into a small smile. "How cruel."

The gun came up. His hands shook, but he clasped it between both and kept it trained on Miss Farleigh's chest. Centre mass.

"Oh? Are you going to kill me now? Like you killed my mate?"

Anger rushed through him, deep and foreboding. There was an inhumanity to her statement; the simple way she made it sound like the loss of her mate was worth so much more than all the people who had fallen, or his own life which would have been sacrificed. Rebecca didn't mean that by accident. She fully believed humanity was below her.

"It wouldn't be the same. I shoved a spike of solid rock through his brain. After he failed to kill me, of course. I guess he was just a weakling in the end."

Her face twisted. "Yes. And then you stole his flesh. Used it as your own." Her arms moved as she sniffed the air. "You still do. And worse, you do not even defend his domain. A failure as Grimm, even as you failed at being human. You always were so weak and pathetic."

Rebecca stepped to the side, moving slowly down the aisle away from him. He kept the gun trained on, as did Ruby with her scythe. "Stay still!" he snapped.

"Or what? You'll shoot?" Rebecca laughed. "You could have been something, Jaune. Been someone. With Leviathan beside me and in this world, we would have reshaped the land and taken over it. He to rule over the oceans and I the land. This entire planet would have become our domain."

"Yeah? I wouldn't have been around to enjoy it."

"It still would have been more than you could ever have hoped to achieve in your paltry lifetime. Look at you, skulking around in the dark despite the power you hold. Hiding your face for fear of what the _humans_ will do to you." She spat on the floor, lips pulling back into an animalistic snarl. "You do not deserve to share in his glory. His title. You have stolen that which does not belong to you."

"You tried to kill everyone in Vale!"

"We would have let some humans live," she said, almost as if she thought it a saving grace. "After all, it would be boring without something to hunt."

"It ends now!" Jaune growled. The alarm continued to blare away. "Whatever your plans were, everything you did to me, it all ends now. You've lost, Rebecca. You've failed. Leviathan lays dead and you're defeated. Caught. You're going to help us fix the boundary between the worlds."

"Fix it?" Rebecca burst out laughing. "Oh Jaune, you naïve fool. Even if I could, why would I help you? Your time is nearing its end. Your species is nearing its end."

"Not with you out of the picture. It's over, Rebecca."

"No, Jaune. It only just begins."

"Tch." He clicked his tongue and levelled the gun on her head. From so close, he wasn't sure he could miss. Despite it, her confidence reigned supreme. Reaching out, he sensed for water, finding it in the pipes running through the mall.

If the worst came to pass, he could bring it forth. It would prove a counter for her fire attacks. The ones she had used to kill Blake on the bridge. As far as he could see, there was no way out for her. He didn't smell reinforcements either, so her confidence, her arrogance, didn't hold up.

Unless she had something else planned.

"Tell me." She cocked her head to the side. "How many sisters do you have again?"

"You'll never find out."

"Seven, wasn't it? Ah, I remember those evenings in my office where you would tell me. Always hiding away from your bullies. I was serious in my advice to you back then, you know. If you have a problem, you need to face it head on." Rebecca strode towards him. "You have become a problem, Jaune. I'm going to deal with you. And then I am going to visit your family." Her smile grew. "I suppose I'll count them as I kill them."

"You son of a-"

"Oh, enough!" Ruby hissed. Her hand blurred out, snatching the gun from his hands. It was aimed at Rebecca's head immediately. "You're long-winded."

"Little Grimm shouldn't-"

 _BANG!_

Whatever Rebecca was about to say cut off as the first shot hit her in the centre of the face, somewhere between the eyes and on the nose. The sharp crack came a moment before the spray of blood and cartilage. The woman's head snapped back.

 _BANG! BANG!_

The second shot took her in the neck and the third in the chest, Ruby dragging her hand down with every squeeze of the trigger. There was no fourth shot. Ruby knew exactly what was required.

The body of Rebecca Farleigh tumbled and fell, staggering backwards and crashing through a flat-screen TV, collapsing on the other side in a puddle of blood and electrical components. Her eyes were wide and staring up at the ceiling, crimson splashed across her face.

Jaune stared at the dead body.

The dead _human_ body.

"You were wasting time." Ruby said. "Or she was. The police are on their way, not to mention the people downstairs will have heard this. Dunno if that was her plan or what, but I got tired of waiting."

"You… You just shot her."

"We came here to kill her, didn't we? I shot her."

"Y-Yes." Looking away from the body, he swallowed. It might once have been a human girl, but Rebecca Farleigh had died a long time ago. Been killed. In a way, they were just avenging her. Her and Yang.

His friend's cold response worried him, but he put it aside. For now. She had her reasons and she was right, he'd been wasting time. Stalling. Hoping for a way out of this that wouldn't involve someone dying.

For all that she'd been a monster, she'd _always_ been that monster.

Even when she was helping him, offering advice, hiding him away from his bullies and drying his shirts for him. Sure, it might have all been a part of her plan to blend in with the other humans, but she'd looked after him.

And then tried to feed him to a monster.

"I just… It was over so quickly." He scratched his head. "I expected more. A fight. A battle. This…" He looked down to the gun. "It was almost an anti-climax. She acted like it didn't matter."

"That's because it didn't. She's not dead."

His eyes shot to the body. It was very much a corpse.

Her meaning struck him a second later. "The other world…"

"Yep. All we killed was her human body. That's why she didn't put up a fight. She knew it was pointless. We knew where she was, who she was, and we have the hunters to back us up. There was no way for her to escape once we found her. If not us, someone else would have come and killed her."

"So, it's pointless? All we've done is make life a little more inconvenient." Ideally, they could have found a way to trap her human body alive somewhere, but then, she could have just killed herself with her barriers. "She's going to come back, isn't she?"

"Almost certainly." Ruby strode out the door, him beside her. "She wants vengeance on you now. You slew her mate, so she will slay your family. She will be hunting for another human to inhabit. And we have no idea who or where they might be. It might take years. Maybe even decades."

Ruby winced.

"It might take days…"

"I…" He swallowed. Fighting himself, he'd come to accept. But not his family being involved. If it did take decades, that still wouldn't stop her. He had a feeling these near-immortal beings could hold a grudge for a long time. "Will you help me stop her?"

"Of course." Ruby rolled her eyes, offended at the very thought she wouldn't. "She still needs to pay for killing Yang. I knew her human body wouldn't harm her, but it takes away a place she can retreat to if we kill her _real_ body."

"Wait, you mean that if she has a human body and dies in the Grimm world, she becomes human?"

"In a sense. If my body died, I'd be trapped in this one. I wouldn't _be_ human. But I'd lose my abilities and my domain. I'd be as vulnerable as a human."

"Does it work the other way around?"

"I don't know. No one's ever slain one of us before." Her eyes flicked to his. "Until you came along…"

With the sirens blaring, Ruby looked over the balcony, down onto the startled and huddled figures below, and the security guard pointing a torch upward. The light ghosted against Ruby's pale hand, but she drew away before it could illuminate her face. She was so much calmer than Jaune, who backed away in a panic, terrified of being seen.

"Time for us to go, I think."

"STOP!" the man below yelled, seeing the shadowed shapes. "HALT!"

"He's going to chase us…"

"Nope." Ruby held up the gun above her and fired twice, the sound _cracking_ across the mall and glass above shattering. Those below cried out in fear, ducked for cover and ran around. The security guard was among them, diving behind a low wall and hiding there. No doubt calling for help. Without a care in the world, Ruby tossed the gun back to him. He caught it awkwardly against his chest. "Now he won't follow us."

"Ruby…"

How did he say she was going too far? Though, no one had been hurt…

No human, anyway.

"Come on," she said, jogging away. "I know another way out."

/-/

The phone buzzed several times before being answered.

"Hello," Weiss said quickly. Nervously. "Is this… Is this Beacon?"

" _It is The Beacon, yes. How may I help you?"_ The man on the other end had a British accent and sounded like an older gentleman.

"My name is Weiss Schnee. I… I was advised to call you about… about my dreams."

" _I see. Tell me, Miss Schnee. Do you dream of things that appear… unreal?"_

"Yes. Monsters. I… No one believes me. They think I've gone mad. Or that I'm attention seeking. I'm not!" she felt the need to add, gritting her teeth together. "I know what I see."

" _You do, and that is the problem. Of a sort. Rest assured you are not mad. Simply… unfortunate. Did you meet my apprentice, Velvet?"_

"I did. She gave me the letter."

" _Good. I instructed her to stay around your property for the next few nights and guard it. You are safe for now, so long as your dreams are safe also. Not all are."_

"Mine…" Weiss hesitated. "They used to be bad. There's something chasing me, trying to kill me. But… it changed two nights ago. Something different started to happen. There's another. Another of those things, those Grimm. Except this one leaves me alone. It ignores me and scares the other one – the one chasing me – away. I have no idea why."

" _I may have an inkling, Miss Schnee. But I cannot say for certain. I'd like for you to meet with me tomorrow night if possible."_

"I can't leave. They won't let me."

" _Because they believe you… troubled, was it?"_

Weiss scowled. "Yes."

" _That will not be a problem. You will find yourself with a new psychiatrist tomorrow. One a little more… suited to your specific needs."_ There was a hint of laughter in his voice. Weiss found herself smiling along with it. Finally. Progress. _"I will see you tomorrow, Miss Schnee. Do not fear for tonight. My apprentice will be more than enough to protect your property."_

"Thank you, Mr Ozpin."

" _Please, call me Ozpin. As for your dreams; I would continue to seek protection from the Grimm for now. It is your best option."_

The call ended, leaving Weiss alone in her room but, for once, with a huge smile on her face. Answers, assistance and the promise of another good night's sleep. Already, her father was talking of having her return to New York. Her showing face and them acting the happy family would help with his election efforts.

She would need to find a reason to stay. It wouldn't be hard to regress a little. Act out.

Looking at the mirror, Weiss noticed her own reflection and nothing more. Compared to what had been there before, the constant _Drip – Drip_ in her head was no concern. Nor the rumbling, deep snoring in the back of her head.

/-/

Ozpin put the phone down and turned with a sigh to the two in front of him. "Quite the mess the two of you have made."

"If that's your way of thanking us for dealing with a Grimm, then you're welcome." Jaune said.

"Oh, I _am_ grateful for that. Less so for the method in which you did it. Storming her domain, risking your lives, not to mention those of other people there. But the real problem is that you were so loud about it." Ozpin slapped a hand on the bar. "Security footage. Evidence. A dead body. These aren't things that will simply go away."

"There were no prints left behind by us," Ruby said. "I made sure of it."

"Yes, and I'm sure that won't make _anyone_ suspicious." Shaking his head, Ozpin looked to the news report on the TV and let out a sigh. It hadn't yet mentioned the death at the mall - maybe it was too soon – but they all knew it would eventually. "Between the hurricanes, the looting, windows bleeding and our own dead being found after the Nightmare, we are in a precarious position. A position which has precious little to do with Grimm."

Ruby looked at Jaune and shrugged. "Is that our problem to deal with? I thought we were just getting rid of Grimm."

"Do not be trite, Ruby. You know that keeping Dreamers from Awakening has been one of our major efforts. I understand that you are angry over your sister's loss…"

"You understand nothing!" Ruby hissed.

"I understand more than you believe I do! You are not the first to lose a loved one, or to suffer for it." His eyes hardened. "Nor are you the first of _your kind_ to have loved in the first place."

Ruby recoiled.

Jaune leaned forward. "Really?"

"That is a tale for another time. Regardless, your recent actions are not wholly to blame for the current situation, but they are exacerbating it. The city is looking for someone to blame for all the recent disasters to befall it. They have chosen to blame us."

"How?" Ruby scoffed. "They don't even know we exist!"

"They don't know what we are and what our goals are, true, but they know of armed figures seen fighting and roaming the streets, and of those found dead. Our activities are not always without witnesses, no matter how hard we try to keep it so." He gestured to the two of them. "Take your romp in the mall for instance, or even your assault on the hospital to destroy the Grimm blood. Although the authorities don't know what we are or what we want, they are not blind. And they're more than capable of making up their own assumptions."

"They think we're a gang, don't they?" Jaune asked. "They think we're criminals."

"Gang, drug dealers, looters, anarchists. The list goes on. We're suspected to be a Mexican cartel who has indoctrinated local people."

"Because _of course_ it has to be the Mexicans."

"That or the Russians or Chinese," Ozpin said flippantly. "Either way, the recent deaths have not improved matters. For instance, they are blaming the death of the police officer you encountered on us."

Jaune stood. "But the Grimm-" He winced, cut off, sat and downed his drink. "Fuck. They think we knifed him or something. Big claw marks, but they won't accept that. We stabbed him and then mutilated the body."

"Close enough." Ozpin pinched the bridge of his nose and looked, for a moment, as tired as them. "In typical fashion, a few deaths and violent acts can be ignored, but the death of a police officer has galvanised the local force. They're determined to bring us down, in whatever fashion that means."

"Wonderful," Ruby said, scowling. "So, we're going to have to fight Grimm and save people while being hunted and maybe even shot at by those same people?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

"And a gang execution, because that's what they're going to call it, in the mall isn't going to help, is it?" Jaune asked. "They'll look into Rebecca and discover she was a teacher. Attractive teacher vanishes, is kidnapped or something, and then is found dead in the mall, shot in the head. They'll not bother to look into why she disappeared from Eastfield. She's going to be painted as a victim."

"Gangs attacking schools, police officers and even a hospital," Ruby whispered. "We're going to look terrible." Cringing, she turned to Ozpin. "Is this all _our_ fault?"

"No. Not even close. The hospital was necessary, the officer a tragedy and the Nightmare something we _had_ to deal with. I'm simply making you aware of the danger because I would like to ask you both to stay out of trouble for the foreseeable future."

Ruby made to protest, but Jaune silenced her with a hand on her shoulder.

"We should be able to do that." To Ruby, he said, "We already killed Rebecca. Like you said, she's not in this world anymore. If we're going to be looking for her, it'll be in the Grimm world. No police there to make things difficult."

Slowly, Ruby nodded. As long as we weren't stopping the hunt, she seemed happy.

"Thank you," Ozpin said. "I appreciate your candour. We're hoping that with the death of Leviathan, the fast-paced Nightmares will stop. At least for a little while. We can't entirely stop our patrols; even if we were to ignore the Grimm, I imagine any deaths would be blamed on us. But if there are no more Nightmares to force our hand, we should be able to stay low for a while. The two of you are free to do whatever you must to seek the one responsible. Ruby, you're more than welcome to stay here at the Beacon like you always have."

"Got it."

"Thank you, but I was hoping…"

Ozpin raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"Blake's apartment is empty now," Ruby said, looking to Jaune. "It wouldn't hurt for us to be closer if we're going to be entering the Grimm world together."

"Uh. Sure. I'll speak to Mrs Mars. My landlord," he explained quickly. "Do you want to come and meet her after?"

Ruby nodded.

"I can provide for rent," Ozpin said. "And a signature if necessary. Ruby is documented as being my adopted niece. It would not be difficult to paint a story of me wishing to offer her a little more independence in the city." Ozpin hummed. "This might be for the best, actually. I'm going to try and bring Miss Weiss Schnee here to deal with her… problem. I assume it is your domain she resides in, Mr Arc?"

Eyes rolling back a little, Jaune looked up at the ceiling – and saw deep water through it. His eyes were open in both worlds, giving him a splitting headache as his brain filtered through two viewpoints at once, superimposing them over one another. "I think so. There's someone in my ocean. Small, not moving much."

"Good. For now. I don't imagine the one chasing her will be content to remain idle for long; they likely believe she will be forced out in time, and that patience will see her herded back into its hands. If that does not happen, they may push the issue."

"I'll keep an eye out," he promised.

"On another note, I'd prefer you to stay away from her human form for now…"

"I understand. Kinda hard not to given what happened the last time."

"Yes." Ozpin nodded his thanks again. "With the Leviathan gone, it _may_ be that you can make eye contact without issue. However, I believe it was _her_ Grimm who caused the windows to bleed. It doesn't really fit Leviathan's water powers. As such, the same might happen again if you spend time around one another."

"We'll do things your way, Ozpin."

"Thank you."

/-/

Ruby and Jaune walked back towards his apartment in relative silence.

They'd ditched their outfits at the Beacon for Ozpin to get rid of and been provided some more – him from a stock of Ozpin's own clothes, and Ruby from her spare outfits she kept in her room at the inn. It was enough as to not be recognised by anyone waling or driving by. A few police sirens in the distance spoke of the discovery of Miss Farleigh's body.

That didn't fill him with as much satisfaction as he thought it would.

Nor Ruby, by the look of it.

 _It's still only been a few days since Yang's death. Less than a week._ Three or four days to be precise. _I can't expect her to be over it yet, or to be thinking straight._

Even so, the promise he made to Yang kept banging around in his head.

"I'm going shopping this weekend," he said randomly. "Hanging out with some friends of mine from school. I also need some new outfits, though. We're running through them pretty fast at this rate."

"Hm." Ruby made a vague sound of understanding.

"You ever find a way to make them last longer? Or throw them away less?"

"Not really."

Getting words out of her was like squeezing blood out of a stone. He couldn't say he knew how she felt; never having lost someone so close to him. He wasn't arrogant enough to think his feelings of losing Yang could be anything like hers. For one, Yang hadn't been the _only person_ in the universe to love you. There was no telling how old Ruby really was, or how long she'd been alone before Yang came and brought some light into her life.

Even so, he'd promised to help her.

"I wanted to ask if you'd come out with me and my friends this weekend."

"No."

 _Not like I expected any different._

"You sure? It would be a chance to relax and hang out. As friends and not people acting like the world is ending."

"I'm busy," Ruby grumbled.

"Doing…?"

"Stuff."

"Well, do you want me to bring some takeout back afterwards? We could have a meal together." Ruby looked about ready to reject the offer. "And talk about how we'll find Rebecca's Grimm form."

Ruby's mouth clicked shut. She nodded. "Okay."

"I'll see if I can't ask Blake to help on that front. Will you be okay working with her?"

"Yes."

"You sure? You didn't seem to get on the first time you me-"

"I _said_ I'd be fine, didn't I?"

Wincing, Jaune looked ahead. "Yeah, you did. Sorry."

This was going to be a lot harder than he'd thought it would be…

* * *

 **Welp. Rebecca is dead, but it's only her human form. Meanwhile, Ruby is acting out from her grief and Jaune isn't sure what to do. Not much else to say on this one. Time to delve on into the Grimm world and see how things are going on that side.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 17** **th** **March**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	25. Chapter 25

**Hello toothache my old friend. You're here to fuck my life again…**

 **Notice: As has been mentioned before, I have to take a week off for this work event I am running (awards ceremony), and to collate judge's info, handle last minute questions, arrange stuff on the day, do the opening speeches and hand out the awards, etc. All boring organisational crap, but it's going to have me in a hotel for several days, so I need a week off writing.**

 **That week will be from Sat 23** **rd** **to Fri 29** **th** **March. Meaning that for this story, there will be no update on Sunday 24** **th** **March. Will continue as normal from the week after. If in doubt, check dates at bottom of chapter.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 25**

* * *

"Mrs Mars? This is Ruby. We were hoping you'd be able to rent an apartment to her…" Jaune looked back to Ruby and smiled nervously, wondering how Ruby would handle the over-friendly old lady, especially in her current mood.

"Ruby?" The old lady smiled. "And does Ruby have a last name?"

"Rose. Ruby Rose." Ruby extended a hand, which the old lady shook.

"How old are you, dear? You look rather young."

"I'm fifteen. Almost sixteen."

"And already wanting to live alone? I'm not sure…"

"It's a test," Ruby lied. "I'm going to be schooling out of Vale next year and my uncle wants me to get some practice living alone first. He's worried about letting me go on my own otherwise."

"Oh, I see! He lives in the city then?"

"Down on the Water's Edge Boulevard. He runs a small inn and bar there. It's nice, but a little too loud for me to study properly." Ruby managed a completely innocent laugh, falling into the role with a lot more comfort than he'd expected of her. Was it just _him_ she couldn't act like this around, or was it a sign of trust that she didn't feel she had to? "It's full of people drinking and eating at all hours. I can barely even focus, and I've got exams coming up…"

"So, your uncle suggested you move out a bit?"

"Mhm." Ruby smiled happily. "He wouldn't have been okay with it if Jaune wasn't living here, though. Jaune's going to be there if I have any problems. My uncle is happy to pay the rent, too." Ruby held out a small packet. "Jaune told us how much it was. This would be two months in advance."

"Hmm." Mrs Mars inspected the envelope shrewdly but made no motion to take it. "And your uncle is close enough to come if you need him?"

"Yep. Would you like to speak with him?"

"I think I should. Not for any doubt on your part, dear. You look like such a lovely young girl. It's just that I'd worry about you at your age. Fifteen really is too young to be living on your own."

Ruby looked to him. "I wouldn't be completely alone…"

"Fifteen is too young to be living with another man, too."

Jaune almost choked. "I-It's not like that!"

"I know, dear, I know." Mrs Mars patted his arm with that condescending old person look that somehow managed to be both fond and patronising. "Trust an experienced woman like myself to be able to tell if _that_ was on the cards. If Ruby's uncle is happy to come down and meet with me, and to present ideas on how he'll help her if she needs it, I'll be happy to rent to her."

"He can come today," Ruby promised. "I can give you his number."

"Wonderful. I have a free schedule and I promise we'll get this sorted by this evening. Keep the money, dear," Mrs Mars said, pushing it back to Ruby. "Jaune, why don't you show her around the room next to yours while I call her uncle? And no funny business!"

"M-Mrs Mars…" he stammered weakly. "It's not like that."

"Well, don't be so easy to tease, boy, and no one would do it." With a laugh, she slapped his arm. "And give a knock on Blake's door, won't you? I've not seen the girl for days now and she owes me rent."

"Will do."

Taking the key offered from Mrs Mars, and with a polite nod and a "hello" to Mrs Mars, Jaune took Ruby back outside and up the staircase leading to the first-floor walkway. It wasn't Ruby's first time to his apartment, but the times before had been through the window and not exactly social visits. Jaune stopped at the door next to his and unlocked it, stepping inside with Ruby in tow.

"The guy who originally lived here moved out. I think he failed his exams or lost his job. I didn't really talk to him much. Looks like he left it neat enough, though. Or Mrs Mars cleaned it. Probably the second. She takes being a landlord really seriously."

"Hm." Ruby stepped in behind him. "You've not told her about Blake?"

"What can I say? Oh yeah, I saw Blake killed by a possessed woman who can control fire." He sighed. "Besides, I've not had the chance and I don't want to be the one to break the news. Maybe it's best if she thinks Blake skipped out. Easier to stomach."

"Is that fair to Blake?"

He looked back. "Do you think Blake would even care?"

"No." Ruby sighed. "I guess not."

He could ask her the next time he saw her, but he fully knew she'd roll her eyes, laze down on her sunning rock and refuse to answer. Adam would then say something disparaging about humans and their foolish rituals. Frankly, as long as Blake had Adam, her pool and her rock to sunbathe on, she was happy. The only thing she'd have liked was another human body to mess around in.

He drew the line there – and refused to even consider her little suggestions of a coma victim or similar. It sounded nice and easy, but he really didn't know how souls worked, and just because someone was in a coma or braindead didn't mean their soul had moved on. How cruel would it be to take someone already in so bad a situation and feed their soul to Blake?

"The place is small, but it has everything it needs and it's in a good spot. Mrs and Mr Mars are nice, too. A little old-fashioned. Don't let them get you talking about religion. They can go on for hours and they'll probably invite you to church with them."

"Would I even be welcome in a church?"

"No idea. You're the Grimm expert here."

"Just because I'm a Grimm doesn't mean I know how Grimm work. Do you know how humans work?"

"Considering I'm learning to be a doctor…?"

"Okay. Bad example." Ruby rolled her eyes. "Most people don't."

He laughed. "I get it." Maybe it was the change in setting or just the meeting with Mrs Mars, but while Ruby didn't look to be in a _better_ mood, she was at least a little less dark than before. It might even have been the sun streaming in through the sliding glass door leading onto the balcony. "It's a cramped fit, but it works. I'm not sure how much stuff you have anyway."

"Not too much. It'll be fine. I can keep important things at the Beacon anyway." Ruby ran her fingers over the hob and cooker.

"Can you cook?" he asked.

"Nope. Yang could, a little, but it's hard to find any reason to when you live with a cook. Ozpin used to make us meals when we were younger, then Oscar took over and Velvet helped sometimes. I can microwave stuff, but nothing to compete with them."

"Must have been nice living there…"

"We ate well, if nothing else." Ruby smiled nostalgically. "Yang always made light of it, said it was living the life, but I knew it was to keep me happy. The `life` would have been living with Summer and Taiyang." Her smile fell. "And Ruby…"

"I think her ideal would have been living with Taiyang, Summer, Ruby _and_ you," he said. "You really think she'd not want you around if everything came back? She'd drag you to meet them and demand they adopt you as their third child."

She giggled. "Probably. Yang was… She was always like that…"

A tear fell from her eye.

"There's nothing wrong with thinking about her. Remembering her."

Jaune's phone buzzed and he drew it out, leaving Ruby to explore the rest of the apartment – as limited as that was – on her own. Swiping his thumb to open the messages, he found the latest one from Nora.

" _Skool boring. Ev1 talkn bout u."_

"Should you really be texting me?" he sent back, allowing the spell check to handle everything. Something Nora obviously either ignored or intentionally turned off. "Does Ren know you're texting me?"

" _N."_ he got back, followed quickly by. " _Dnt tell Rn."_

He rolled his eyes. "What is everyone saying?"

" _U join gang. U no Kungfu. U hot."_ There was a long pause before he received another text. _"Nt hot as Rn tho."_

"Thanks…"

" _Still luv u! XxX"_

Only Nora…

" _We still on sat?"_

"Yes. See you then."

" _U brng fren?"_

Jaune glanced over to Ruby, who was testing the mattress. "She's pretty beat up still," he sent back. "Not in the mood at all. I suggested it and she didn't sound happy with it."

" _Ofc not. Brng hr."_

"She won't like it…"

" _Bring. Her."_ Complete punctuation and spelling, a sign of the apocalypse or just what awaited him if he let her down.

"Okay okay, I'll bring her. You need to help me out with her though."

" _Will -clock emoji- ur back."_

It felt like her text-speak got harder to read the longer she texted him. He was about to reply as much when another, longer, text came through. Still from Nora's phone, but now written _rather_ differently.

" _Nora is paying little enough attention to this lecture as is. Please refrain from getting her in detention or I will NEVER hear the end of it. Ren."_

"Whoops," Jaune said out loud.

A second later, he got another text.

" _Busted… T_T"_

Jaune laughed and put his phone away, looking back as Ruby was flopped down on the bed dozing off gently. He was about to tell her not to when the room wasn't hers yet but paused to yawn himself. They'd both been up all night dealing with Rebecca, Ozpin, and then the nocturnal hours of the hunters.

 _I guess Mrs Mars gave us the keys already…_ he thought, laying them down on Ruby's bedside table. A little presumptuous maybe, but Ozpin would have no trouble convincing Mrs Mars to let Ruby stay. He was sure of that. Letting himself out, he pulled the door shut, hearing it lock, and then made his way back to his own apartment. With a final text message to his mother – it being a daily requirement now so that she knew he was safe and well – Jaune laid down on his own bed, hooked his arms behind his head and drifted off to sleep.

/-/

His gargantuan eyes opened, shining spotlights through the deep, dark ocean.

Turning his head to the side, he looked down at his serpentine body and had to fight the immediate surge of fear that ran through him. Of course, it was _his_ body now, not the Leviathan's. It still took him a few seconds to accept that and relax.

His body in the real world was sleeping. He felt he could wake it up if he wanted; it was just a matter of opening his eyes. There wouldn't be any point though. With Rebecca gone, the real world was safe. For now. Better still, he would notice if someone came close. He could _feel_ that one Grimm was near his body. In his domain. His _human_ domain of the apartment block.

That had to be Ruby. So, in theory, he should be able to tell if any _other_ Grimm came around.

Something caught his attention far to the east. He didn't know _how_ he knew it was the east, or that it was there at all – but his vision seemed to pierce hundreds of miles through the ocean, up onto the shore where something was splashing about in his waters.

Not invading. Just splashing. Incessantly.

With a mournful groan, he uncoiled his body from the ocean floor and urged the water about him to push him forward. It wasn't so much swimming as being propelled and having a body like this _felt_ as weird as it sounded. His eyes blinked strangely, water rushed up his cavernous nose slits and his jaw worked in a completely different manner.

Jaune tried not to think about it. Instead, he focused on the splashing. It wasn't stopping and the Grimm wasn't coming further into the water; just sitting on the exterior and jumping in and out, causing an absolute ruckus.

Picking up speed as he travelled, he fit his huge body out of the deep, then into the shallows, eventually shifting back into human form for the sole reason that it was smaller, and thus able to reach up onto the beach.

He came out to find a black panther slapping its paw over and over into the shallows.

"Blake?"

"Unless you know some _other_ Grimm who would come and call on you."

"No, but…" He gestured to her paw. "Was that really necessary? It was giving me a headache."

"Oh, I apologise. Next time I'll swim thousands of miles out into the ocean, and down, using my _gills_ to breathe underwater." She shook her head purposefully, making the absence of any such bodily functions obvious.

"Sorry. What did you need me for?"

"Another Grimm has entered our territory. It hovers on the outskirts, fleeing whenever Adam or I approach."

"Rebecca?"

"No. Your friend. The one who smells of roses and death…"

"Ruby!"

"Yes." Blake's ears flicked back. "Ally though she may be, he kills my glade with his presence."

"Ruby is a he?"

Blake rolled her feline eyes. "Human terms for inhuman creatures."

Jaune blinked. "Wait, _you're_ a-"

"Do not finish that statement and show your stupidity any further than you already have." Turning away, the panther bucked its shoulder in a gesture for him to follow. "She, he, it – however you wish to call it – is causing my glade to age and die. I want it gone."

"But Ruby is on our side…"

"That does not change anything. It can be ` _on our side`_ while keeping a respectable distance away from my domain. Since Adam and I cannot approach it without it fleeing, you can be the one to do so. Take it back to _your_ domain if you wish. The Leviathan hardly allowed anything to exist in its waters, so your friend won't be killing anything there."

"Right." He wasn't sure why he'd expected niceness from Blake, especially here. The only reason she'd helped him in the first place was to prevent Leviathan flooding her domain, and that remained her main motivation. Only now to stop Rebecca in case she set _fire_ to Blake's domain. "I'll talk with her and move her back to mine. I'm surprised she didn't come straight to me. She knows where my ocean is – and she can breathe under it."

" _She_ cannot breathe at all, holding neither form nor figure. As for the reason, it is likely similar to my own in not searching for you. Your ocean is a rather large place. Finding you is not so easy a matter. Finding _me_ , however, is much more. And it – she – knows that I would know how to reach you." Blake huffed and shook her large head from side to side. "I do not appreciate being used as a messenger."

"You don't appreciate much, do you?"

"I appreciate my rock." Blake said defensively. Her lips peeled back in a wry smile. "And I appreciate Adam's co-"

"Too much information!"

"I was _going_ to say his company. What did you think I was talking about?"

He didn't believe her for a second. As he followed Blake into her domain, he began to smell Adam's musky scent. There was a tang of `Blakeness` to it, likely because of their time spent together, and it was easier to track the faint smell of Blake than it was him.

Once they got closer, he picked up another.

Ruby.

Her form was that of the spectral cloth floating in the air as he came out into a patch of trees in which Adam stood, glaring at Ruby's tattered cloth floating behind some trees. Adam snorted once on noticing him and padded over to Blake, mumbling something he couldn't hear. Nothing kind for sure.

"Ruby?" Jaune called.

The cloth came out from behind the trees and floated a metre or two away from him. Up close and without the constant threat of Leviathan chomping down on him, he could finally see that there was _something_ inside the cloth – but not what it was. It, or Ruby, was entirely invisible, and only the shape the cloth made forming over a head and shoulders suggested at a body.

His eyes trailed down, finally noticing that the cloth wasn't `floating` at all. Though he couldn't see them, Ruby obviously _had_ feet, because the grass was ageing and dying in a slow circle radiating out from two points close together.

Everything she touched was slowly dying.

"Out of our domain, death bringer," Adam snapped. "You've found him. Go speak on the beaches if you need to."

Blake nodded along, though without the caustic words. Her muscles were bunched and Jaune had the oddest feeling she was _bothered_ by the death of the grass and plant life. Considering how upset he'd been at Blake splashing in the water – how much he'd _felt_ that – it might have been similar for her. Blake and Adam might literally have been feeling a part of them dying while Ruby was here.

"We should go speak in my domain," Jaune said, reaching for Ruby. "Or on the beach like Adam says. Not sure if you can talk underwater like I can."

Ruby's cloak pulled away as he came close and quickly flapped from side to side, as though she were shaking her head. The softest, faintest, voice he'd ever heard barely reached his ears. "Don't touch me," it ghosted.

"Ruby?"

"No touch…" Ruby stepped back again, grass dying under her. She must have touched a tree for the bark began to wither and crack, and behind him Blake whined in obvious distress. Ruby must have heard it for she quickly stepped away from the tree.

It wasn't the touch of death, not when she'd touched him before, but then, he didn't physically exist in this world, and certainly hadn't when Leviathan had been fighting him. Back then, he'd been a soul given some conceptual form. Ruby had been able to touch and affect him but hadn't harmed him. Now, it was hard to say.

"You can't touch anything?" he asked.

"Never to interact. Never to know the embrace of a living creature. No life. No grass. No flowers. Only death and rot."

A life of loneliness. An existence of solitude. No mate for Ruby, for what Grimm could be around her without ageing and dying? No family or companions, nor, he imagined, any Domains to neighbour hers, for any that did would wither and die.

Nothing but eternal solitude.

Until Yang.

And then, cruelly, nothing once more. Yang had been taken from her.

"Come," Ruby whispered, turning away. "I want to find the one responsible and embrace her."

"Ruby…"

* * *

 **That's all I could manage around my tooth and jaw creaking, the constant brushing of teeth (and yes, I know, you shouldn't but it gives me twenty minutes of relief), and the absolute maximum painkillers I'm allowed to have. Ugh.**

 **Hoping this is all fixed Monday at the dentist. Just rip the bastard tooth out if they have to.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 31** **st** **March (TWO WEEKS)**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	26. Chapter 26

**Back and enjoying not having the looming threat of nonsense events on the horizon. It's good to just have normal work for a chance and I'm weirdly even looking forward to going to work on Monday because it'll just be actual normal work. News stories, editorial, journalism, online news, copy writing and dealing with PR people and staff.**

 **Normal stuff. Finally! No more speeches.**

 **At least until next year.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 26**

* * *

"You know, I expected something more… alien for this world."

The spectral cloak beside him tilted imperceptibly in his direction. "What do you mean?"

"Well, we're entirely different species from entirely different dimensions. It's like meeting aliens from another planet, and while you're all very different from us physically, the world… kind of isn't. I've seen a deep ocean, a beach and a forest. Those were all pretty normal."

It wasn't something that bothered him. In fact, it made everything a whole lot easier. But for the benefit of making conversation and breaking the ominous silence between them, it worked a treat. Even if it felt hard holding a conversation with a piece of cloth.

He wasn't sure if he should be making eye contact with the cloth or the space underneath it.

Asking felt rude.

"You've only seen two domains, and from relatively… mundane Grimm."

"Leviathan was mundane!?"

The cloth rustled on the wind oddly. It took him a second to realise what it meant, but the tinkling sound might just have been laughter. Or her shaking in amusement. "Not quite. He was exceptional in his size and power, but he was still relatively normal compared to someone like me."

"Is that a theme?"

"No. It's coincidence. As far as I can tell – and my knowledge comes from Ozpin – our worlds are unconnected. If Blake and her mate look similar to animals on Earth, that's just coincidence. There are only so many ways for animals to be designed. Four legs, two legs or no legs. With only insects having more because their mass is so much less." Ruby's cloth shook from side to side. "That's how Ozpin explained it anyway. Blake just happens to look like a big cat. She could just as easily have been a big lizard, a small bird or something completely alien with tentacles, snouts and trumpets for eyes."

"Trumpets?"

"It's just an example." Ruby sounded exasperated. "I'm an animated piece of tattered cloth. Your rules don't apply here, and they apply to domains just as much. Blake happens to be a large cat and she likes a forest. Leviathan was a big sea serpent who needed an ocean. Farleigh – or whomever she is – might live in a volcano, a twisted hellscape of flame and ash or even in the middle of an eternally burning forest of golden leaves, blue trunks and red grass."

"Anything is possible, then?"

"Yes. You've been… not fortunate but exposed to more _recognisable_ domains. Recognisable by human standards at least. There are some domains that twist reality, logic and the rules of physics." Ruby eyed him. "None of your rules apply here."

"Blake has said as much."

"Hm." Ruby made a disapproving sound.

"I'm… sorry about Blake. She's not normally that rude. At least not to me."

"It's fine. My presence was slowly killing her domain. I didn't expect her to be happy about that."

"Does that always happen?"

"Yes."

"Can't you turn it off?" Jaune felt stupid for asking, and even stupider when the cloth turned towards him and away without saying a word. She'd obviously turn the ability off if she could. What a dumb-ass question to ask. "Sorry."

"S'fine…" the cloth mumbled, sounding for once like the young girl Ruby was.

"What's your domain like?"

"A rotting field of flowers and trees as far as the eye can see. No one's domain borders mine for fear of what my presence will do."

Yikes. Not the happy discussion he'd hoped for.

"You know, you're more than welcome in _my_ domain. There's no life in my waters anyway thanks to the last Leviathan. I doubt you can kill water itself. Not in that quantity. You don't have to breathe either, so you could live in my domain."

Ruby's cloak swept away from him suddenly, lurching a good few feet to the left. "W-Wha-?" It bobbed up and down. "You… No, you…" It twisted from side to side, almost as if she were shaking her intangible head. "Forget it. Don't say things you don't understand. I have my own domain."

"I didn't mean to offend you."

"Just… it's not that simple." Ruby looked away. "Forget it."

"Sure." For now, at least. The two of them stepped out of the borders of the glade and onto the beach, where the sand beneath Ruby's cloak did not change much. Likely because sand itself was slow to wither away. Or couldn't. He wasn't sure which. "How would we go about finding Miss Farleigh, then? We've killed her human body, but we have no idea where she is or what kind of Grimm she is."

"We know she uses fire. Her domain is likely similar to that."

"Does that narrow it down any?"

"No." Ruby let out a long sigh-like rustle of cloth. "This world… It's not like all the aquatic Grimm are on one area and all the fire-based Grimm are on another. Domains are scattered across the land with no real sense of purpose. Our best options are either to wait until she attacks you and then track her scent-"

"How do you know she will come for me?"

"Because she knows where her mate's domain used to be. And because I don't care about my own." Ruby explained. "Our other option is to scout around and look for her scent."

"Didn't you say she could be anywhere?"

"She was mated to the old Leviathan. That wouldn't happen unless she was close enough to make the journey for mating at least once or twice a year. Probably more."

So, she would be relatively close by – or at least within a reasonable distance of the ocean. That wasn't as great as it sounded, since Leviathan's domain truly was immense. Jaune had yet to explore every stretch of it, but he could _sense_ the boundaries of his domain and it spanned a long distance.

"We should be pro-active about it," Ruby said.

"Are you sure this isn't recklessness talking?"

He had the feeling she was glaring at him. "No…"

"It's just that Yang made me promise to look after you, and I think it would hurt her to know you were rushing off into danger."

The cloak turned away. "Stop using Yang against me every time you don't like what I say…" Ruby sighed. "There's another reason, though. The Grimm may not bother to attack you at all. You killed Leviathan, which means you _could_ kill her. Why bother risking it when she has an easier way to strike out at you."

His family.

Jaune's eyes hardened.

"Fine. Let's go for a swim."

/-/

The huge serpentine form of Leviathan was something difficult to get used to. Most times, he was in it with only half his mind – and it was easier then, as if by the very fact he was resting, his body liked to transform into its monstrous state. Being asleep as a human and awake as a sea monster was harder. There were things you took for granted as a human.

Like opposable thumbs, or hands. Or breathing.

Opening his mouth unleashed a torrent of water down his throat, which made him choke. Except that he wasn't choking, and oxygen was being filtered through his gills into his bloodstream without problem. The feeling of water in his throat brought on a reflexive gagging, however. Even if it was no threat to him whatsoever.

One benefit of the ocean was that Ruby couldn't snark at him for not getting used to his body faster. She could make little bell and tolling sounds, which she was doing with a remarkable sense of impatience, conveying her message just as well, but he could ignore that.

Switching from one body to another just wasn't as easy as it looked.

At least Ruby had no problem keeping up, trailing behind him in the current he left as he propelled himself through the ocean, skimming just below the surface with his giant nostrils occasionally appearing above to snort out water in a great torrent and then draw breath, sniffing the air. He found that he could _taste_ it as well by extending his long tongue.

Dirt, mud and grit.

Some other domain. He could also smell the Grimm's inhuman fear there, as he had many of the domains he approached. Whether they knew he was the old Leviathan or not, none of them enjoyed his approach.

Diving back down, Jaune let out a low bellow and swept westward, skirting the landmass with Ruby in tow. Miss Farleigh had to be on land. It just wouldn't have made sense for her to be underwater or she would have hidden in the reservoir and made it impossible for Ruby to approach in her human body.

 _We've searched half the ocean, though, and it must have taken five hours. This thing is huge._

Five hours for what had to be two thousand miles or so was still incredible pace on their part, but this wasn't Earth. He didn't know what the circumference of it was. Not that he knew Earth's off the top of his head either, but the point was that two thousand miles might be _nothing_ in this world. There could be two _million_ miles to traverse for all he knew.

Coming to a slow and eventually a halt, Jaune pushed himself up towards the surface.

Ruby followed, water dripping from her cloth as she floated above the waves. "Why are we stopping?"

"This isn't working."

"It's only been a few hours!"

"Okay, this isn't working _efficiently_ enough. We've got no idea what we're doing and we're pretty much just checking the shorelines. Which is great if that's where she is, but if she's further in land then we're screwed."

Ruby swept from the left to the right in clear agitation. "You want to stop."

"No. I want to try something different."

It was obvious she didn't like the idea, but for once Ruby chose not to make a point of it. Her cloth flipped inside out, as if she were doing a backflip. It scrunched up as well, coiling to make water drop out in a sharp torrent.

Blake's emotions were so much easier to judge, since she… well, had a face for one.

"Fine." Ruby said. "What do you want to do?"

"I want to try something." He dipped just below the surface but kept his eyes above. He swept towards the nearest shore, but for once didn't stop just off it. The scent of dust and sand assaulted his nostrils, but Jaune pulled his gargantuan body out of the water and reared over the dirty beach.

He bellowed angrily.

"Back! Back!" a small voice screeched, as a… thing came out of the sand.

If he were feeling generous he'd have said it was a cross between a tortoise without its shell, a beaver and a rodent of some kind. Maybe a raccoon. It had leathery skin and a narrow, bald head, but it had fur on its body and huge spade-like claws which it must have used for digging, since it had pushed itself up out of the sand.

Its voice was squeaky and high-pitched. "Back! Back! No intrude! Have not intruded!"

"I have no interest in your domain," Jaune said. He tried to say it politely, but Leviathan's cavernous mouth was not made for such tones and his words came out a deep, rumbling bellow filled with threat and danger. "I am looking for one who has wronged me."

The creature jittered on the shore in obvious agitation.

He tried simpler words. "One has intruded on my domain."

"Have not! Have not!"

"Another," he clarified. "Not you."

"Another! Yes! Yes! Not I. Not I. Go. Back. Do not intrude."

"I will go if you answer my questions. I am looking for one who smells of smoke and ash."

"Smoke and ash. No smoke and ash. Only sand. Sand and dust." For all that the creature seemed lacking in intelligence, it understood the scent of its own domain, for dust and sand was all Jaune could smell as well.

"Have you smelt smoke and ash nearby?" Jaune asked.

"No! No! Back! Go!"

Ruby floated up onto shore. "It's pointless. He's a minor Grimm at best. No intellect."

The moment her cloth touched the shore, the creature began to thrash and writhe. "NO! NO! BACK! AWAY! DEATH! NO!" It chittered and lashed at the sand with its claws as though it didn't know whether it wanted to dig down and hide or try to kill them despite the impossibility of the task. "No smoke and ash. No smoke and ash! T-Trees. Fruit." It jerked to the left. "Salt. Salt. Blood. Blood. No ash. No smoke."

"Ruby, maybe you should…"

With a `hmph` Ruby floated back out over the water and the little creature shook in obvious relief.

They'd gotten some information at least. If the domain behind this one was trees and fruit, and the one to the left was salt and blood, then that saved a little time. "I will go now," Jaune bellowed, despite his efforts to say it softly. "I will not intrude."

"Yes. Go." the little thing said miserably. "I no intrude. No water."

It would not enter his domain. It was terrified of him. Or maybe it only knew of the old Leviathan, who it seemed hadn't been afraid to throw his weight around. The ocean might not always have been as expansive as it was now. Ironically, the little thing was still more frightened of Ruby. That seemed a common theme amongst all the Grimm he'd met with.

Once they had slipped back into the sea, the thing buried down into the sand and out of sight, leaving him and Ruby to themselves.

"Asking for directions. That's a very human approach…"

"It worked, didn't it?"

"Assuming we can believe him, yes." Ruby bobbed in the wind. "We can, I think. I can vaguely smell fruit on the breeze, and I doubt he'd dare risk upsetting you."

"Or you," Jaune added.

"He didn't fear me," Ruby said. "He feared what I might do to his domain, but he wasn't afraid of me and would have attacked if you weren't there. Leviathan holds a lot of weight, it seems."

"You didn't know?"

"My domain was never close to here. It is a distance away." The cloth angled itself toward the south-west. "Hours that way, out of the ocean and through several other domains. None of which were of fire, ash or smoke. I had to travel far to reach here. I would have reached you sooner if I were closer."

"How big is this world?"

"I don't know. Measurements are human. I've never thought why I should care to know how many Grimm live in our world, how large it is or where it lays in the cosmos. At least… not until I spent time as a human. You have all the time in the world to be curious."

There was a whimsical note to her voice. "Did you like that?"

"It was fun," she admitted. "Yang used to ask big questions all the time. I… I never really understood why. What does it matter to know why the sky is blue? What does it change? Why do you care how many planets exist in the solar system or how long-ago dinosaurs lived? What does any of it matter?"

He had to laugh. He had no idea himself when she put it like that, but it hadn't stopped him wondering. Especially about dinosaurs. It had to be a young boy thing. He'd loved dinosaurs when he was younger.

"Did you ever find an answer?"

"I don't know." Ruby danced in the air. "I asked Yang, but she'd just say `because I want to know` like that explained everything." She exhaled sharply. "She did that a lot. Just said `because` when she didn't want to explain something. It was annoying." Ruby hesitated. "Is it wrong to think that?"

"That Yang had faults as well as virtues? I don't think so. She was human at the end of the day, so she was hardly going to be perfect. I think remembering the ways she was silly is just as important as remembering all the good memories."

"Hm. Yang _was_ silly. She used to flick peas at my hair…"

Jaune snorted. "She didn't like them?"

"No. But why throw them at me? Ugh. I got so angry that I picked up my whole plate and threw it back."

"What happened next?"

"Ozpin told us off. I felt stupid." Ruby snorted. "Yang wouldn't stop laughing, though. She got us both dish-washing duty."

Jaune's laughter in his Leviathan form was more of a rumbling groan that echoed out his mouth. It didn't have the same sense of joy to it and probably had a whole bunch of Grimm in hearing range scurrying for cover.

"I think curiosity is a human thing," he eventually said. "Or maybe not curiosity, but the thirst for knowledge. It comes from having easier lives, I think. How we no longer have to focus on survival every single day, so our minds wander. Here, the Grimm are trying to eke out domains of their own, defend them and, I imagine, take them from one another."

"Yes. They fear you because others have taken their domains in the past. Space is limited."

"Is that why the boundary is weakened?"

"Maybe." Ruby's shoulder, or the cloth of what it would be, rose and fell. "That is what Ozpin believes."

Jaune nodded. "You know, we're going to have to return to the human world soon."

"I know." Ruby sounded angry.

"We've not wasted time, Ruby. We've ruled out where she isn't, and that means we've narrowed down our options. We'll try again tomorrow and run through every option. We're going to find and kill her, but we can't ignore Vale. Even with Rebecca and Leviathan gone, the Nightmares are still going to continue. Grimm will start to slip through again, and you don't want someone else to go through the same ordeal you and Yang did."

"I know…"

"You can stay here in this world," he offered again, trying to sound more casual about it. "Just nap in or above the water. You're more than welcome in my domain."

Ruby muttered something under her breath but didn't dart away. Slowly, the cloth began to descend onto the water, floating atop the surface like a shirt thrown off a passing ship. Curling up around it and keeping his scaly body above the waves so she wouldn't be swept past him, Jaune closed his giant yellow eyes.

/-/

Strangely enough, he woke up sluggish and exhausted despite several hours sleep. It was dark out, but night was giving way to day, with the sun just peaking its head above the horizon. The thought was followed by Ruby's hand striking his front door. He knew from her smell.

"Morning," he greeted.

Ruby rolled her eyes. "We've been with each other all day. Why are you greeting me now?"

"Habit." He yawned and fought back the surprising exhaustion.

"You slept on your bed, didn't you?"

"Y-Yeah." He stretched a little to try and wake himself up. "Why? I feel… weirdly tired. I know I've been awake and active mentally, but I was expecting my body to be a little better rested."

"Your body slept without a soul."

Jaune froze. "What?"

"It's not exact, but your soul was busy in our world – which means your body was only slightly tethered to your soul. You should have slept in the bath or submerged in water. Or at least with some running water nearby." Ruby looked at him sideways, and he found himself grateful to finally have a face and a pair of eyes to look at. "Didn't Blake warn you about that?"

"She might have. I probably forgot…"

"Try not to in future. You won't _die_ from it, but you'll be weaker."

"Running water. Got it. Did Mrs Mars finish signing you up?"

Ruby nodded. "Ozpin agreed to meet her today around noon. They're going to meet him at the Beacon. Mrs Mars said I could stay the night rent-free to see if it's really something I want. She seems nice."

"She is. They both are." Jaune yawned again and sat on the end of his bed. "This exhaustion. Does it work both ways? Like, if I stay in my Grimm body too long does that get tired?"

"Probably. My human body gets tired if I use it too much, so I assume it's the same for you. You wouldn't be able to stay in your Grimm form anyway. You have school."

"As do you."

Ruby hummed noncommittally.

"You _do_ have to keep going to school, Ruby. The police will get involved if you stop and they'll visit Ozpin since he's your legal guardian. Considering all the things we've done, neither of us wants them snooping around. Wait, did you skip school today!?"

"Heh. Took you long enough to notice."

"Ruby…"

"It's fine. Ozpin called up for me. I'm in grieving still and don't feel healthy enough to go back." Ruby shrugged. "I'm expected to start again next week, but I'm free until after the weekend. And I don't think _you_ should lecture me on not causing a scene in school Mr Suspended."

"Ah. Well, that was… kind of a slip of control. I just got really angry and… hey, do you ever find that your human form influences your personality?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like… I got ridiculously angry with Cardin. Way more than I usually would. I really wanted to hurt them and was wondering if it was Leviathan's influence." If Leviathan's anger and inhuman rage was messing with his mind, that might prove a problem.

"Nope."

Ruby nixed it.

"Oh…"

"Thinking to blame your actions on Leviathan?" She hit the nail on the head. "You killed him, Jaune. You stole his body just like I stole Ruby's. Even if I act similar enough to her that Yang never noticed, I'm not her and you're not Leviathan. If you hurt this person, it's because you _wanted_ to hurt this person."

"That's what I was afraid of."

"Why?" Ruby hopped up onto his kitchen counter and let her legs dangle over the edge. "You got angry and hurt him. That's not a bad thing."

"It is for us humans."

"Don't pretend I'm an idiot who doesn't understand basic social norms, Jaune. I lived as a human since the age of seven – which is about when people pick them up anyway. I'm not saying I think it's okay to go around attacking people, I'm saying you shouldn't think the fact you got angry is a bad thing. That's normal."

"Yeah, but I did a lot of damage."

"That's an issue of self-control then. Or discipline. People get angry all the time. Even Yang used to say she thought about just bashing her stupid tag-along's heads open. She didn't, but she wanted to."

Tag-alongs? Oh, her posse. He'd always thought they were friends but come to think of it she hadn't really given them the time of day. Most of the time, she was asleep. When she woke, she would snap at and tell them off. Had they just been hanging around her because she was considered the cool rebel of Eastfield? That felt so shallow.

Then again, wasn't everyone shallow in high school?

"I guess you're right. It's not what we think, but what we do. Maybe I just have anger issues."

"It would make sense considering how much you refused to fight back. Repressed helplessness and all that. You finally get some power and a chance to hit back and you take it. I wouldn't worry about it. It was probably a one time thing, and you were still in fight or flight mode from Leviathan."

That might explain it. At the very least it made him feel less of a psychopath.

He still had another day suspended from school though, and he hadn't told his parents. Wasn't planning on it if he were being honest. They'd only worry. "What do we do today? If we have to let out Grimm forms rest, I mean."

"Whatever." Ruby kicked off the counter. "I want to sleep. Properly sleep. You can do what you like."

"You don't want to hang out?" The door closing on him was his only answer. "Guess not."

 _I'm trying, Yang. I really am._

Sighing, Jaune pulled on his coat.

/-/

Weiss could barely contain her excitement as the unusual looking man in the green suit was escorted into the house. She had to hide it because she'd never looked forward to any psychiatric meeting ever, so they would all know something was up if that changed now. It helped that she'd had another pleasant night's sleep, resting in an ocean that seemed almost devoid of all life. Even the great sea monster had been absent this time.

"Miss Schnee," one of the maids said. "This is Mr Ozpin. He's the latest psychiatrist your father ordered. I hope you'll give him a chance to help you…"

It was the hardest thing not to nod frantically. Weiss huffed and crossed her arms instead. "I don't _need_ help. I just need someone to believe me."

"Miss Schnee, we-"

"It's fine," the tall man interrupted. "In fact, I think I'd rather listen to the young lady's account before I make any decisions. All too many like to go into things like this with preconceived notions of what is right or wrong, real or unreal. It's important to keep an open mind."

The maid looked between him and Weiss awkwardly, before she made a sound of understanding and stepped away. "I see. Yes, that might be for the best. Miss Schnee does not trust-" She swallowed. "Has not had the best relationships with her previous psychiatrists."

Weiss stiffened.

"I will do my best to surprise the two of you then," Ozpin laughed. "Please, though. May we be excused?"

"Of course. Would you like any tea, drinks or snacks?"

"I am sure that if I need them, I will be more than capable of procuring my own, thank you."

The matron nodded and smiled at the charming man, then looked to Weiss with bare concealed pity. Bowing once, she backed away, though not before saying, "Your father instructed me to book you out of school today, Miss Schnee. You have the day to your session with Mr Ozpin."

Weiss nodded stiffly. When the woman left, she turned to Ozpin. "I don't have trust issues."

"I would not be surprised if you did, Miss- May I call you Weiss?"

"Yes. And I don't have issues. The ones before acted like I was insane. They'd prescribe medicine that made me irritable, forgetful or sleepy – and that would lead to nightmares. And the monsters. No one would believe me. It… It made me angry. So angry."

"Understandable." Ozpin drew out a small radio from his bag and set it down on the side. "Do you mind if I play some music?"

Her eyes narrowed. "What are you doing? You said-"

"I find that music helps to set a pleasant atmosphere. And also to provide a little more privacy to one's conversations." He tapped his ear once and then nodded to the door the matron had just left through.

Weiss' eyes widened.

"Y-Yes. Some music would be nice."

"Wonderful. I'm a fan of the classics myself." Without warning, the tones of some oldies band – Dire Straits, Weiss thought – began to blurt out from the radio. "Though not classical, I'm afraid. I've not the taste for it." He dialled up the volume just a little, and then angled the speakers towards the door. He took a seat on a leather chair and gestured for her to take the couch nearby. "We may as well get comfortable. Little telling if your minders are monitoring this somehow."

"They wouldn't…" Is what she would have liked to say, but considering they thought her insane and prone to sneaking knives to bed and using them to slash up expensive bedsheets. Well, they might just think she needed watching for her own protection. "I… I'm not insane."

"You're not. You are a very unfortunate young woman."

Weiss glared his way, wondering if he meant that in a patronising manner. "And you?"

"I am a very unfortunate old man," he said, smiling pleasantly. "As are all who come under my protection. We are united by our difficult circumstances. Driven by the actions we must take to protect ourselves."

"From monsters," she pressed. "Grimm. I've met them. You implied you _know_ the Grimm that has taken over my dreams of late."

"I may have. Things are… confusing of late. I understand you sought protection from a Grimm previously. One who had taken human form. Associates of mine filled me in on your situation, and the Grimm in question was actually the one to reach out and request your safety."

Weiss brought a hand up to her mouth. "Blake is alive?"

"That… is not so simple a question. Her existence continues and yet she is no longer alive in the human sense. I'm afraid I must warn you not to trust her any further. Her human body has been slain, leaving her a Grimm once more. While she may still maintain her sense of self, it should be noted that she desired a human body the first time. If you appeared before her now, she may see you as a vehicle to a new body."

"Is that why I'm hunted? For my body? If I die, they take over. Don't they?"

"Yes."

"And the one that is sparing me. It has a body right now, meaning that it doesn't need mine." Weiss' eyes widened. "Is it keeping me as a spare!? Am I being kept like a piece of cattle for when his dies and he can kill me for mine?"

"No. No. His situation is… complex. One of a kind in fact, at least as far as I know. In fact, it's not dissimilar to your own. You were both hunted. He, through stubbornness, aid from another and a good helping of blind luck, managed to best his Grimm and slay it, assuming its form."

"Can I do that?"

Ozpin hissed through his teeth. "I would advise against it."

"Why? If it could be done once, it can be done twice."

"Because it can very well be the reverse – as it has been a thousand times or more. This is the _only_ example of a human besting a Grimm in its world that I have ever heard of, while I have _personally_ put down my fair share of Grimm who have stolen human form. He is an anomaly. An outlier. You should not expect to be nearly so fortunate."

Weiss grimaced and leaned back. "What do I do, then? Sit around and hope it never picks up the courage to dive into the water? It's still circling me every night. I can see it above the clouds. I can feel its eyes on me. Watching and waiting."

"I'll speak with my associate and see if he can help. Though you may not have the strength to slay it, he might."

"You keep saying associate. Why not give me a name?"

"It is… inadvisable for you to meet."

"Jaune Arc. It's Jaune Arc. Isn't it?" His wince confirmed it. "Blake tried to keep it secret too, but I'm not an idiot. I can put pieces together and I know how to ask around for the name of someone. He's in my school. In my year. So, he's the one who slew his Grimm."

"You must not approach him, Weiss."

"Why? Is he dangerous, too?"

"Not to you I would hope. But your Grimm may be to him and vice versa. Vale can ill afford another case of bleeding glass, or worse! Your two Grimm have already come to blows in the past and with Jaune now inhabiting the body of his, there is no telling if the collateral damage of their encounter will be as gentle as the last. If they were to fight to the death… leaving aside that we do not know _who_ would win, the damage might rip the boundary asunder."

"Boundary…?"

"This is what I wanted to teach you about here," Ozpin said with a little sigh. "Before we became distracted. There is much you need to understand about our ways, about the ways of the Hunters."

"Hunters." Weiss tested the name and liked it. "You hunt Grimm, then?"

"No. We slay Grimm. We hunt answers. We hunt knowledge. Information that will enable us to close the rift between worlds once and for all, seal away the Grimm and return to the ranks of the Dreamers once more. To live normal lives, fall in love, raise families and become productive and boring members of society once more."

She couldn't help but laugh. "Boring? That… I feel like boring would be nice right about now…"

"That is why you are fit to join our ranks, Weiss. That is why I am here. More than that, if I may be entirely blunt with you, your family's power and prestige have also caught my attention."

Immediate suspicion flared but she tried to ignore it. There had been many seeking to use her for political or monetary gain, but if he was being open about it then there was probably more to it. "How so?"

"The Hunters seek information as I've said. I have dedicated my life to this task and learned much, but I fear that I – that we – are no closer to an answer than when I began this undertaking. Information on a rift between two dimensions." He shook his head. "It is not something I can pick up from the local library."

"I can imagine…"

"It's taken my decades to get where we are now, and to organise the Hunters in Vale into a group that works together and looks after one another, from newly Awakened to the old hands. Without me, I fear things would be far worse here, or that Vale would be lost already." He looked proud for a moment, but only that. He sighed and sagged a little, his years showing. "But I am old, Miss Schnee. So very old. I no longer hold hope that we will find an answer in my lifetime. I have to start thinking about the next generation. About those unfortunate souls who will Awaken after my life ends."

A long-term solution. A strategy.

Weiss let out a long breath. "You want me to take your place."

"Intellect, wealth, influence. I hope you won't think me cruel for pointing out what makes your position a valuable one."

"No. It is… at least you're being honest about it. And not trying to take advantage for your own ends." Weiss laughed. "And honestly, I don't have much of a choice. Do I? if I say no, the Hunters will only be in trouble after you die. I'd be shooting myself in the foot. If I say yes, you'll help me and I'll help the next generation."

"If you say no, I will help you either way." Ozpin said.

"True. But you can't help me when you're dead."

"Also true," he allowed, bowing his head. "And I worry for what that will mean for the next Weiss Schnee. For some poor girl who Awakens in her bedroom, or when someone loses their family, or when the Hunters are spread and directionless. I worry for the entire world if no way to stop this incursion is found."

"The answer is obvious, then." Weiss looked up and met his eyes. "I'll do it. But you'll have to tell me everything. And I mean everything. If you take any secrets with you…"

"Believe me, Weiss, I understand. There is much I've learned that I have had to keep from the other Hunters. Some truths are too painful to understand. Are you sure of this? The secrets I've learned are not comforting. Some have been driven mad by them. Are you truly prepared?"

Weiss settled down on the edge of her bed and took a deep breath. Her eyes hardened.

"Let's find out."

* * *

 **I'd just like to say that I know there has been a shift from horror in the last few chapters. This was an expected shift for a while. Most horror stories don't really kill off the main antagonist halfway through, and although Leviathan is obviously going to be replaced by another, there will be a period of grace before that entity becomes an obvious threat.**

 **That period is going to lose all horror vibes. Although… I wouldn't say this is pure horror because it just isn't. It's more horror-style set in an Urban Fantasy.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 7** **th** **April**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	27. Chapter 27

**Busy Sunday, busy weekend. Argh. When do things calm down and get easier again?**

 **Well, when I catch up on all the real-life work that was pushed back by my week preparing for that stupid speech. It feels like every three days, I manage to snatch back one lost day. At this rate, I'll be back on track in another week or two.**

 **Sheesh!**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 27**

* * *

"How is life as a free man?"

"As someone who's been suspended, you mean." Jaune chuckled ruefully, sat at a table in a small diner with Nora and Ren. School had just closed doors on the Friday afternoon, meaning that he'd be back at Eastfield on Monday. "It's been…"

Hectic? Dangerous? Multi-dimensional?

"Interesting."

Ren raised a single eyebrow. "Really? Not as interesting as school I'm sure. We've had people cornering us to ask about you. The rumour mill is going crazy. No one's quite sure whether you're a victim who snapped or a nutjob waiting to go crazy on the school."

Jaune laughed. He was neither. He was a human who spent his nights as a gargantuan sea serpent.

You know, the usual teenager stuff.

"If that's your way of asking, then don't worry. That was definitely a one-time thing."

"I never doubted it."

"And Cardin deserved it," Nora added, cake crumbs spilling from her mouth. "I mean, hm, he's been on your ass since school started. Everyone knows it." Popping her fingers into her mouth, Nora licked each clean. "We're still on for tomorrow. Right?"

"As if I'd dare forget. You'd drag me along anyway."

"Yep!" She laughed. "What about your friend?"

"That one's a little more complicated."

"She's not coming?"

"I want her to. She needs to." He sighed. "Ruby is completely losing it. I know she's under a lot of pressure with Yang's death, but I'm worried about how much she's closing herself off."

"Grief isn't a simple matter," Ren warned.

"I know. Hospital taught me as much, and while I never had to deal with it on work experience, I know families can blame doctors and nurses if their loved ones die. The five stages. Anger in particular." He had to assume she'd been through the others as well, but anger, as ever, was the easiest to identify. "I'm not saying it's unusual for her to feel it, just that I want to help. Getting her out and distracting her should do that."

"Or it'll make her angrier at you," Nora pointed out.

"Or that."

"Risk you're willing to take?"

"I guess it'll have to be." Ruby needed him, so it wasn't like she could run away. He could put up with her ranting and raving at him if he had to. "Sorry to put this on you guys. It's not really any of your business."

Ren chuckled. "It's fine."

"Yeah." Nora smiled and leaned over to fill his vision with her face. It might have been supportive, if he didn't notice her stealing his last bit of cake. "Besides, this whole trip is our little celebration for you coming back okay after that storm. If helping her helps you then I'm all for it."

"Thanks." He smiled and let Nora take the last slice. They really were great friends. And, more importantly, not even remotely involved in the Grimm, Nightmares or matters of the Awakened.

Nora grinned suddenly. "So. Ruby. She pretty?"

He groaned. "Don't go there."

"What? Just sayin' this is more time you've been spending with a girl than most. And now you're looking after her."

"She's _fifteen."_

"Gasp! Two years. An insurmountable age gap."

"Surprised you know what `insurmountable` means," he grumbled.

Nora kicked him under the table.

Ren broke them up. "Have a little mercy on him, Nora. I'm sure the very second Jaune gets a girlfriend, he'll let you know."

"He better. I want pictures."

"Pictures of what…?"

"The first date." Nora grimaced. "Ew. Not _that_ you perv."

"How am I-?" He slapped his forehead. "No. Forget it. I'm here to ask for help on getting Ruby out and about. Something short of just kidnapping and dragging her out ourselves."

"If she doesn't want to come, there may not be much choice," Ren said.

"Just kidnap her," Nora added. "Tell her you need to meet with someone and she has to come along, then meet with us. By that point, it'll be too late to say no."

"That's bound to piss her off."

"What isn't? You've just said she's always angry at the minute. That's not going to change. Just stomach it and drag her out. It's what I do when Ren is in a bad mood and just wants to sit at home and sulk."

He wouldn't say Ruby was sulking, or doing so without reason, but the point was still there. She wasn't going to come out willingly whatever he did. "Alright. I guess I'll make excuses. Cover for me if she tries to kill me?"

Nora laughed. "She's only fifteen."

How little they knew.

/-/

Another night passed searching through the great ocean that was his domain, this time with his human body asleep submerged in six or seven inches of cold water in his bath, still and unbreathing, in what was likely to horrify anyone foolish enough to break into his apartment. He noticed the difference immediately, feeling infinitely more rested both during his stint in the Grimm world and after waking up.

Sadly, their efforts had failed to yield any concrete results.

That wasn't necessarily a bad thing. The more they narrowed down their options, the closer they got, but it certainly hadn't done much for Ruby's mood. She'd been surly and silently flying beside him in her cloak-form, hovering back over the ocean as he questioned whatever Grimm he could find as to the location of Rebecca Farleigh.

Waking up in his bath, he sat up and let the water drop off his naked body. Despite it being cold from eight or more hours sleep, he didn't feel uncomfortable in the slightest. In fact, it was as if he'd had his first real night's sleep in forever. He stretched both arms over his head and made a happy little sound as his joints popped.

 _Wow, sleeping in water makes this much difference?_

It was like being born anew. Every muscle in his body felt fresh and relaxed.

Climbing out, he dried off and padded into the apartment proper, picked out a pair of jeans and a shirt and got dressed. Yesterday while he'd been out with Ren and Nora, Ozpin had met with Mrs Mars and finalised Ruby's new rent in the apartment block, putting her in the apartment to the left of his. He could smell her through the walls, which still somehow felt like an invasion of privacy.

He had a feeling that was Grimm instincts, though. He was starting to see his apartment as his territory, just like Blake had. It only went to show how difficult it must have been for Blake having him sleeping in the room next stinking of the deep ocean.

Checking his phone, he read a few messages, both a reminder (and a threat should he have forgotten) from Nora, and another check up from his parents and a few of his sisters. They were still so worried about him disappearing again. Jaune smiled and took the time to reply to each of those as he cooked some porridge, heating it up on the stove and tossing in some raspberries and blueberries from the fridge once he was done.

Sitting on his desk, he passed some more texts to his mother, telling her what he'd be up to on the weekend and assuring her, for the tenth time, that he was fine, and she didn't need to come to Vale. While it would have been nice to see them, he didn't want to put them in any danger.

Finishing his food, he poured some more from the pot on the stove into a bowl and stepped outside, knocking on the door next to his.

There was no answer.

Jaune knocked again. "I know you're in there Ruby. Can't exactly hide it."

A huff sounded from within, followed by bare feet on the wooden floor. The latch on the inside of the door scratched open, followed by the deadbolt. The door clicked open, revealing a single glowing silver eye.

"What?"

"Can I come in?"

"Why?"

He rolled his eyes and snuck a foot in before she could close it. "Breakfast."

"I'm not hungry." The door closed, or tried to, but caught on his foot.

"You _are_ hungry," he said, pushing it open. "Because I know for a fact you didn't have anything to eat last night, and the human body needs food to keep going. Also, your skin is sunken, and you have bags under your eyes."

"What are you, a doctor?"

"In training, yes."

Ruby sighed again but stepped back, realising she wasn't about to stop him getting inside. She'd only been there for two nights and one day, but the apartment was already a mess. There were cans of soda across the kitchen side, one take-out box from a Korean joint down the road and also several pieces of discarded clothing on the floor.

He tried not to comment on it as he stepped through to the kitchen and pushed some trash aside to make space for the bowl of porridge. Digging a spoon out of her drawer, he stabbed it in and then passed it off to her. "Eat."

Ruby grimaced. "Porridge is yucky…"

"It can't be yucky because it barely tastes of anything. Besides, you need it. Eat."

Grumbling to herself, Ruby sat on the end of the bed and did so. She was still in her sleepwear, which was little more than a polka-dot pair of trousers in red and white, and a black tank-top. The only other thing that stood out was a small watch on a chain around her neck, along with the _three_ alarm clocks beside the bed.

"Is that your domain? Time?"

"Mhm." Ruby nodded around her food. "Yang used to think I just had trouble waking up."

"I'll bet you didn't help there if this is an example of how you normally look in the morning."

She stuck her tongue out at him.

Leaving her to eat, Jaune busied himself in her kitchen, collecting some of the waste off the side before it could go bad and dumping it in her bin, then tying the edges of the bag up and taking it out himself. He fit another into the trash can and then took out a cloth and wet it, wiping down the sides. If Ruby was annoyed by him making himself busy, she didn't show it.

Must have been hungrier than she realised, because she was using the spoon to get every last bit of the `yucky porridge` out of the bowl.

"I've got something I need to do today," Jaune said, trying to sound casual about it. "Something Yang asked me to do."

Ruby's head shot up immediately. "What?"

"Just something she asked of me. You want to come along and help? It'd make it easier if you did." At her uncertain look, he went on. "Not like we can do much anyway until tonight. I figured we could sort this out for Yang before we go on looking for Rebecca."

Ruby bit her lip.

"You don't have to if you don't want to. I'm sure Yang would understand if you had something more important to do."

Which, of course, she didn't. Ruby just wanted to mope.

"N-No. I'll come. I'll help."

"Cool." He smiled and stepped back from her cleaner kitchen. "You want to grab a shower and get changed? Meet me out front while I dispose of all this rubbish?" He hoisted the trash bag he'd filled from her room.

Ruby nodded and quickly collected some clothes while he stepped out.

There was a moment where the shoe dropped.

That exact point where she realised what was going and that she'd been tricked dawned on her slowly at first as they approached the mall, but then with a sudden clarity that he could track across her face once they approached a small diner and Nora and Ren waved in their direction. Ruby's eyes narrowed, her lips thinned, and she turned on her heel.

He'd been waiting on it for a good five minutes though, and caught her shoulder before she could escape, dragging her in against him and walking towards his friends with a wide smile.

"Hey guys. This is Ruby." He threw her under the bus. "Ruby, this is Ren, and this is Nora. They're my friends from school. Say hi."

"Hello," Ren said.

"Hiya! I'm Nora!"

Ruby _glared_ at him and mumbled, "Hey…" Leaning closer to him, she hissed, "What are you doing? You said this was for Yang!"

"It is," he whispered back, then said louder. "Ren, Nora and I decided to spend Saturday together having fun. I thought it would be a good idea to bring you along since you're working yourself to the bone as it is."

"I don't have time for this."

"You do." He held onto her. "I know for a fact that you do."

"Come on, it'll be fun." Nora clapped her hands together and pushed a plate of goodies across the table. "We've got cookies."

"Do I _look_ like a little girl?"

"No," Ren said. "But you do look hungry."

In complete betrayal, Ruby's stomach grumbled loudly. She scowled down at it.

"There. It's decided." Jaune pushed her down into a seat Nora pushed out with one foot, then sat on Ruby's other side, trapping her between them. "You're here anyway, so you may as well eat. And since we're here and you need some new stuff for your apartment, we can do a little shopping too."

"Don't need anything…"

"You do. Unless you intend to live on nothing but take-out for the rest of your life."

"Listen to Jaune," Nora stage-whispered. "He's a doctor. Or he's going to be one."

"You could stand to eat a few less treats yourself, Nora."

She gasped. "Are you calling me fat!? Rennnnnyyy! Avenge my honour."

The Asian boy leaned his chin on one hand. "I didn't want to say anything, but you _have_ been looking a little pudgier."

A slice of cake fell from Nora's hand and onto the plate as she made a quiet, croaking and gargling sound. All the colour in her face faded away. It was all a jest of course; Nora looked as good as ever and Ren would _never_ dare call her out like that, but they were playing it up for Ruby's sake, trying to break the ice and earn a smile or giggle from her.

No such luck. She took one of the cookies and crunched away at it mechanically, eyes closed, and lips pulled down. Nora cringed and looked his way, making a little `What do we do` gesture. Jaune shrugged back, as lost as her if not worse.

Cheering people up had never been his forte.

"So," he turned to Nora and Ren. "Any plans for today?"

"Yep. I was thinking we could go and visit the arcade again. Play some games, grab some snacks, watch Ren crush it on the DDR and waste the entire day away." Nora somehow made it sound productive as she downed the rest of her soda. "I was gonna say watch a movie but they're all lame. Plus it's Saturday, so it'll be crowded."

And having Ruby sit in silence for two to three hours wouldn't do much for her. Jaune nodded, pleased they were keeping her in mind. What self-respecting fifteen-year-old _wouldn't_ want to have fun in the arcade?

Well, plenty of them, but they were all nerds, so it fit.

"You should see Ren on the DDR, Ruby. He's a pro."

"You exaggerate," Ren said with a soft laugh.

"We don't," he and Nora said in unison. "If anyone has beaten his top score, I'll buy lunch for everyone. Unless you think you're up for it?" He nudged Ruby's side. "Fancy your chances?"

"Not really."

Yikes. Jaune sighed, but quickly reaffirmed himself. No one said this was going to be easy. Either way, sitting around wasn't going to cheer her up. Stealing a cookie for himself and munching it down, he stood up, flanking Ruby in case she tried to make a run for it. She wouldn't using her powers, not and risk causing everyone here to Awaken.

"Let's hit the arcade!"

/-/

Ruby knew what Jaune was _trying_ to do. It was just that she couldn't shake the part of her that thought worse, that thought he might be trying to _replace_ Yang in her life. Or to put other people forward to do that.

He wasn't that kind of person.

But it was hard, so hard, to accept that.

Human emotions had never been easy to understand. Although, calling them human or not was a little pointless since even Grimm felt fury and rage. Even Grimm would become bitter at losing something that belonged to them, typically territory. Sometimes loved ones. If you could call `mates` loved in the same way she had Yang.

It didn't matter in her situation because she'd never truly felt rage before.

Not even once.

How could you when no one cared to approach your domain? No one wanted anything from her because she _had_ nothing. Any object she held would crumble to dust. Any connections she made would wither and die. Even her domain was rotting and dead, continuously cycling between life and death as plants grew, withered, died and rotted in real-time.

With no Grimm caring for her domain and none caring enough to interact with her, the only real emotions she had known were longing and loneliness. Even grief was alien, for she'd never had anything to regret losing. Not until Yang.

A part of her despised her anger.

It wasn't just that it was aimed at Jaune, who she recognised as a friend, but because the anger took away from the pain she was sure she _should_ be feeling. What right did _she_ have to be angry? Yang was dead. If anyone had the right to be angry, it was her.

 _I should feel sorrow. Loss. Instead, there's just a burning rage. That's… Did I not love Yang enough? Am I that selfish? Why can't I cry anymore?_

Just as she'd told Jaune Leviathan's emotions had not been responsible for his attack on his bullies, her lack of grief wasn't the fault of her human body. It was a problem with her and only her, and the implication that she somehow hadn't cared for Yang as much as Yang had for her hurt. It was like a dagger being twisted in her heart.

It wasn't his friends' faults either, so she _tried_ to pay attention to them.

"House of the Walking Dead," Nora explained. "I think there's a typing simulator too, but this one is better for obvious reasons." She handed Ruby the bright-red plastic gun, which she guessed was an `obvious reason`. "Let's see how far we can get."

This was so pointless.

But she couldn't really get out of it. Better to just get it all over with. "Fine."

The game started off easily enough, and although the difficulty picked up, Ruby had little trouble covering for both her and her co-op partner, who was a little flakier when it came to doing well. The monsters on the big screen, zombies and other bizarre things, just weren't as frightening as the things she'd seen in real life. The combat wasn't either, since the enemies went down in a few quick shots and didn't require limbs cut off with iron or steel.

With her weapons training and all the practice she'd gotten in the Hunters, the game really didn't hold up. She lost one or two lives due to attacks from multiple directions at odd times – bullshit in her opinion – but tore through the levels with ease. Towards the end, Nora had even started to sit back and watch, leaving Ruby to cut through their foes on her own.

"Whoah. You, uh, used guns before, then?"

"I visited a range with my guardian." It was a lie she and Yang had used whenever someone asked about their skills. This being America, no one could disprove it. "My adoptive guardian is a gun nut and made sure we knew how to use them."

"That's cool. I've never fired a real gun."

"It's different than this." Ruby holstered the red thing back against the machine. "Heavier, bigger kick, smaller too." The plastic thing was comically over-large. "I don't know why you would go against zombies with a handgun, though. It wouldn't do much."

"Yeah, but it's movie logic." Nora laughed. "Ren showed me an article that pointed out how if zombies were real anyway, they'd all die to scavenging animals, the weather or anything more complicated than a small flight of stairs." She looked back. "Where is Renny, anyway?"

"He went with Jaune to buy drinks."

"Huh. You're pretty observant."

She shrugged. "I notice things."

"Hm. Jaune's really worried about you, you know."

"I know." Ruby let out a long and hefty sigh. "I'm not _trying_ to be troublesome…"

"Yeah. He knows. You lost your sister, right? I don't know what that's like. Orphan here." Nora said it casually, like it didn't really matter, but Ruby winced anyway. The term didn't accurately describe her situation, but the connotations were still there. The loneliness.

"Sorry…"

"Nah, don't be. Everyone says it's better to have had and lost, but I dunno. Can't miss what you never had. You'd know better, I figure."

Yes. It was an interesting question. Would she, with the benefit of hindsight, have chosen to live in a world where she never met Yang? Where she missed out on all the joy and love, but also never had to lose it and face an eternity of forever missing it.

She wasn't sure.

Humans got to die at the end of it all, so they didn't have to live with the pain forever. She would. Providing she wasn't killed by someone else, but even that would require her being killed in _both_ worlds.

"I don't know," she said honestly. "I loved Yang. I miss her…"

Nora bumped arms with her sympathetically.

"A-And I don't hate Jaune for trying this," she quickly added. "I know he's trying to make me feel better and all, but… I dunno. A part of me doesn't _want_ to feel better. It's like I'm trying to forget what Yang and I had. Like he's trying to make me move on sooner and leave Yang behind."

"He's not trying to do that."

"I know. It's just…"

"You know up here, but not down here?" Nora touched her head and her heart.

Ruby nodded.

"I get it. Boys are pretty rubbish at getting their thoughts across. I should know, I've been trying to get Ren to ask me out for _months_ now."

Ruby glanced her way. "Are you sure he likes you?"

"Yep. We've kissed a bit." Nora's cheeks heated up, but she wore a happy little smile. "Mostly, it's his parents. He just doesn't do anything because they don't like me and think he needs to focus more on school. Bah. Still, he never said it or anything. Just continued on being a friend and never explained why he went from kissing me to just standing there."

Nora huffed.

"When I finally got it out of him, he just said he assumed I knew. Like… what? How am I supposed to know what his parents decide? Am I psychic or something?" She sounded so irritated that Ruby had to giggle. Even that felt like a betrayal of Yang's memory. She should be laughing or having fun when Yang wasn't even a week gone. "I figure Jaune is the same, except hopefully not as dense. Still doesn't mean he explains things well, though."

"Y-Yeah…" She'd never had much success talking with boys, and not just because of awkwardness. Ozpin didn't count, being an old man, but Ruby had always gone to Velvet for advice if Yang wasn't available.

Maybe Nora could help…

"I feel… I feel like I'm letting Yang down." The words were blurted out without any explanation or request for advice, but Nora nodded and stood there, listening. "It's only been a week and I'm out here playing games in an arcade. Shouldn't I be feeling worse? And why am I angry all the time? That's not right. I should be feeling sad. And I shouldn't be angry at Jaune out of anyone. He didn't do anything."

"He's there," Nora pointed out.

"That… That doesn't make sense, though. If he isn't responsible…"

"Since when does anger have to make sense?" Nora giggled. "Sports fans get angry at their friends and family when their team loses. People take out their anger on people who don't deserve it all the time."

Ruby's face fell.

"That doesn't mean you're a bad person," Nora continued. "Just a normal one. And it's not like you can get angry at anyone else for what happened. I think if the thing you want to be angry at is either not there or you can't shout at it, you lash out at other people."

"Even if they don't deserve it?"

"Even if they don't deserve it. You're angry. It's understandable. And probably fine, too. I mean, you're angry over the death of your sister and snapping at him a bit. That's a lot more forgivable than someone beating their wife because their football team lost."

"But it's still all about me. I'm not sad Yang is gone, I'm angry that I don't have her anymore…"

"And you think that means you didn't love her properly?"

Ruby nodded helplessly.

"I don't think it matters what you feel. People work in different ways. If you miss her, then that's all that matters, however you show or feel it." Nora wrapped an arm around her shoulders and drew her in for a hug. It was so similar to Yang's that Ruby melted into her side immediately. "The dead don't grieve for their own passing. They're dead. It's those left behind who have to deal with the grief. That's why people who take their own lives hurt everyone else." Nora squeezed her shoulders. "And if Ren and Jaune died, I think I'd be angry too. But it wouldn't mean I didn't love them."

"Hmhm." Ruby closed her eyes and let out a long sigh. "I miss her…"

"Then you loved her and still do. And I bet Jaune is fine with you being angry at him, as long as it means you're okay. He's not trying to make you forget your sister, just to remember her with happy thoughts. Not sad ones."

She nodded again, breathing in Nora's scent. The older girl didn't comment on it, or the dampness that stained her blouse. She held onto Ruby for a little longer, only letting go once the boys appeared back. They pushed apart, neither Ren or Jaune realising what had passed between them.

But Ruby felt a little better.

Still sad, still missing Yang, but slightly less upset about being there.

"So, ready to see Ren crush it on the DDR?"

To Jaune's obvious surprise, Ruby smiled back. "Sure."

"R-Really!?"

"Yep. But only if _you_ go against him."

Jaune's face fell.

Nora cackled loudly.

/-/

"They weren't so bad. Huh?"

"Not that bad." Ruby grumbled her answer, still reluctant to admit she might have had any fun. It didn't bother him since he knew she had. The slow tension seeping out of her had been proof enough. "But we were supposed to be avenging Yang."

"And we will. Tonight. But we have to do something during the day as well, and we might as well de-stress. If our bodies become ill, we won't be able to fight."

"I guess so…"

"I know it's not easy, Ruby. It isn't for me, and I can't imagine how much worse it must be for you, but I didn't lie. Yang asked me to look after you. Not because she didn't think you could look after yourself, but because she cared for you so much that you were the last thing on her mind at the end."

Ruby's head fell.

"And I think that if she was watching us today, she'd have been pretty happy."

"Maybe." This time, there was no hiding the small curl of her lips. "But you still tricked me."

"Okay. That, I'll admit to. Only if you admit you had fun."

"A little."

"Only a little?"

"Your friends weren't bad," she added, looking away. "Nora is funny."

"Yeah. They're great. They just sort of adopted me when I came to Eastfield. Without them? Well, I dunno where I'd be. I might have given up on Eastfield and run away to escape Cardin, going back to Boston."

"Would that be a bad thing? You'd have been safe from the Grimm."

"Admittedly." He hadn't thought of that. "But I wouldn't be _safe_ , would I? Just ignorant. Leviathan would have been out there, and Boston would sink under the waves." He shuddered. "Let's not think about that. Another night of searching through the Grimm world. You up for it?"

Ruby smiled and nodded. "Yeah!"

"Cool. I'll just-"

His phone started to buzz angrily, cutting him off.

"One second," he said, pulling it out. Ruby nodded. He checked the display and answered. "Ren. What's up?"

" _Has Nora contacted you!?"_

Ren sounded rushed, alarmed. Jaune's hand tightened on the phone.

"No. Why? What's wrong?"

" _I just got a call from her landlord. Nora didn't make it home. She isn't answering her phone either."_ Ren sounded nervous and on edge. _"I was hoping she'd be with you."_

"Ruby and I split up from you at the mall."

" _I know, and Nora and I went our separate ways once we were a couple of blocks away from her flat. We always do that! I assumed she would be fine. I-"_ He cut off. _"It might be nothing. Maybe she went out or turned her phone off or something. I'm probably worrying over nothing."_

Possibly, but he couldn't be sure. He was about to speak when his phone pinged. Glancing at the screen, he let out a sigh of relief. "I just got a text from her."

" _From Nora!?_ " Ren sounded relieved. _"Damn it. Tell her not to panic me so much."_

"Sure. Catch you later, Ren."

Ending the call before Ren could reply, Jaune opened the text.

"Problem?" Ruby asked.

"I don't think so. Just Nora scaring Ren by not making it ho-"

He froze.

"Jaune? What's wrong?"

The text on the screen before him wasn't Nora's. He knew because it came in full English and full punctuation. Not to mention its content. It was a map attachment showing a location and how to reach it, along with a single line of text.

 _Two Hours. Alone. Or the girl dies._

* * *

 **Uh-oh.**

 **Nora, no.**

 **There's just no catching a break with these people, is there?**

 **At least the threesome managed to cheer Ruby up a little. Hm. That didn't quite come out right.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 14** **th** **April**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	28. Chapter 28

**Here we go**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 28**

* * *

"I'm coming."

"It says alone," Jaune hissed, struggling to escape the hold of a girl two years his junior.

"You go alone and you die." Ruby's silver eyes pierced through his. "I'm coming."

He didn't argue any further; it would just waste time. The place she was being held was close enough to walk to. He tried to run but Ruby dragged him back, warning him that not only would running in be a good way to be exhausted and get killed, but that they still had time. He wasn't supposed to arrive for two hours.

"Why would anyone want Nora? She's just a normal girl."

"Normal people are victims of normal crimes," Ruby pointed out. "Or it could be something else. Why would someone want to make us wait two hours when we could be there in thirty minutes by taxi?"

Jaune shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe they don't know how far away we are."

"If they kidnapped Nora, they were watching us before and waiting for her to be alone." Ruby's tone was reasonable, logical, but there was also a hint of frustration beneath it. He wasn't sure if that was over Nora's kidnapping or the fact that this was taking away from their time to hunt in the other world.

That was when it struck him.

"This is to stop us finding Farleigh!"

"Quite possibly." Ruby scowled. "The timing is too convenient. Not to mention they want us to wait until night has properly settled, which is exactly when the Grimm will be most active."

"Is this… Do you think it's her?"

"I don't know."

A cloying, sickly sensation settled in his gut. It didn't seem possible that she could be back already – not even a week after they'd killed her. And yet, wasn't that what the Grimm did? Wasn't it the point that they consumed those that entered their territory and took over their bodies?

"It's too soon to make any assumptions," Ruby said. "There are a lot of people who might abduct someone, and it might be Grimm or not, but she could have allies. It might not be her. Who knows, it might even be Blake."

"Wouldn't she just call me?"

Ruby shrugged. Neither of them thought it Blake.

The city moved on like it always did, as if it had no idea of the drama taking place within it just like it didn't the Grimm and the hunters. As the sun settled down over the horizon, hunters would be arriving at the Beacon to get their marching orders. Picking up their weapons and moving out to fight the monsters that went bump in the night.

When the moon rose without a jagged tear in the sky, Jaune breathed a sigh of relief. He'd half been expecting another Nightmare, if only to make things worse than they already were. He sent another text to Ren assuring him Nora was safe – something he'd have to explain away later – and followed Ruby down an abandoned alleyway and towards a metal back door of some store. Ruby rapped on it loudly and waited.

It took a minute or two for there to be a response. A deadbolt opening on the inside and then the door scraping open, dragging across the stone step to show it wasn't used regularly. A tall bald man with a white apron and black skin stuck his head out, a sneer and an insult on his lips. It died when he noticed the girl in the red hoodie.

"Ruby. There a problem?"

"We need to go on a hunt," Ruby said. "Right now. We need weapons."

"Ye can't make it ta Beacon?"

"No."

"A'ight. Wait here." The man shot Jaune a curious look but didn't bother to ask who he was. He stepped back into the building, leaving the door open.

"Who was that?" Jaune asked.

"Hunter dead-drop." Seeing his confusion, she sighed and explained. "You don't always know when a Nightmare will hit, and sometimes people are caught unarmed or unable to get to Beacon. When that happens there are places and individuals you can go to. They'll have weapons, medical supplies and shelter. Usually experienced or older hunter who own their own homes or businesses. Those without families."

"Why is the family bit important?"

Ruby smiled sadly. "Because you don't want to draw Grimm to children."

Oh. Shit. Jaune winced and looked away, grateful that the man came back before the awkward silence could grow. He had two small cases with him – little black leather bags that someone might carry a laptop in. No one would think twice of people their age carrying them.

"M1911. Standard. Three magazines each." He held one out for Ruby, then for Jaune. "Ye need anything more than that? I can provide a little more ammo if ye wan' it."

"This should be enough. Thank you."

"A'ight. See ya around, Ruby. And you, friend."

"Um. Bye?" Jaune waved weakly as the man drew the door shut and dragged the bolt back into place. He'd been friendly enough, which was probably what made it weird since he was a friendly man who had just given two teenagers guns in the middle of a dark alley.

He didn't ask if it was necessary. With Nora's life on the line, it absolutely was.

"Keep it in the bag until we're close. You don't want to draw it here."

"Right." And to think, he'd been about to run off to this place alone without a weapon to his name. "Thanks, Ruby. I'm glad you're here helping."

"I need your help finding Yang's killer."

His shoulders fell. "Is that the only reason you're helping me?"

"It… No." Ruby sighed and looked back to him. There for a second, the briefest of smiles returned. "I didn't mean to sound like that. I _do_ like you. You're my friend. It's just…"

"I know." The words said, he felt better. Confident. "I'm glad you feel the same way I do. And Nora's a friend, too, so let's go find the bastard that's taken her and deal with this once and for all. Who knows, they might even have information on Farleigh."

"Hm. Let's go."

/-/

In his head, he'd expected an abandoned warehouse, but the location the text message pointed to was actually an in-use factory. Not open so late at night obviously, but still in good condition. From the signs outside, it made food. Specifically, soup and other canned foods. The main building was large and square-shaped, with several loading bats on one side for lorries and vehicles, a main entrance with a lobby and a fire escape coming out the back. The lights were off inside.

"What do we do?" he asked Ruby.

Rather than answer, Ruby raised her head and sniffed the air. Jaune followed suit immediately, realising what she was up to. There was a tang of oil and grease, not to mention numerous food ingredients – tomato especially.

"Food factory…" Ruby grimaced. "The perfect place for an ambush."

"Yeah, I can't smell a thing past it." Normally, Grimm scent was stronger than other ones, but this was an exception because of how fragrant the entire area was. There had to be cases and crates stacked with food, either fresh or rotten, and no doubt finished stock ready to be transported, all of which contributed. "What do we do?" he asked again. "Sneak in the back? Or is that too obvious?"

"We split up."

"What!? Isn't that like… the worst of the Scooby-Doo tactics?"

He had no idea if Ruby even knew what Scooby-Doo was, but she rolled her eyes regardless. "You were told to come alone, and they're not going to stay if they see me. You have to ring Nora's phone and try to talk to the person. They're expecting you. I'll sneak in another entrance and try to get a good position to listen in and help." With that, she was away, slipping around the back of the factory and out of sight.

Holy shit. They were really doing this, then. Jaune looked down at his phone and swallowed. It was strange how he'd been so resigned to Leviathan, and yet the thought of something like this had him shaking. Maybe it was because there was someone else's life dependent on his actions. If he messed this up, Nora would pay the price.

 _Just relax. I've fought giant sea monsters. I can do this._

Kneeling, he opened the leather case and looked at the black and grey handgun inside. It was bigger and heavier than the one Ruby had lent him before, but the weight was reassuring. Taking one of the three magazines set beside it, he loaded it in and then chambered a round. He didn't have a holster, so stuck it in one pocket and zipped it up. The spare magazines went in another.

"No more time to delay…" he whispered, checking the time on his phone. With an audible gulp, he dialled Nora's number.

" _Is it you?"_ It was a male voice that answered. Rasping and hoarse, the man sounded like he'd run a marathon. _"Is it you!?"_ He asked again, voice desperate. _"I swear to god, man. If it's not you, I'll blow her fucking brains out!"_

"Whoah Whoah! It's me. Jaune Arc. You called me."

" _G-Good. Good."_ The man swallowed loudly. He was panting. _"You came alone. Right? You better fucking have."_

"I'm alone. I'm on my own."

" _Where are you?"_

"Outside." Jaune looked up towards the windows, but there was no one there. "I didn't want to come in and surprise you. Look, I'm here for my friend. I just want her to be okay. There's no reason for anything bad to happen to anyone tonight."

" _You think I don't fucking know that!?"_ Panting, gasping and – was that the sound of crying? It wasn't from Nora, either. It was the speaker himself. _"I… I don't… J-Just get in here, you fuck. In the front door. Slow like. You try anything and I'll kill your girlfriend. I fucking swear it!"_

The call ended with a click, leaving Jaune outside with a wildly beating heart and a frown. That definitely wasn't Rebecca Farleigh. For one, she knew he and Nora weren't together like that, and she'd been calm until the end when they'd killed her before. She wouldn't have sounded so afraid – and she wouldn't honestly have expected him to come alone either.

 _I hope you know what you're doing Ruby. I'm going to be next to useless in here._

Not that it mattered. He couldn't leave Nora like this. Taking a deep breath, Jaune made his way toward the front entrance. The door was unlocked – not broken into or forced but unlocked. There was no noise or alarm as he stepped inside, despite this being a fully functioning manufacturing centre. Given how expensive all the machinery was – not to mention all the hygiene risks associated with food – there should have been an alarm system.

The entranceway was a lobby despite it being a factory. There were a couple of chairs, a receptionist's desk, a flight of stairs leading up and some vending machines, not to mention a pair of clearly labelled bathrooms. A double door was open at the back, a fire extinguisher on the floor pinning the doors open. It was as good a sign as anything and he crept over to it, pausing to peer inside rather than step through and eat a bullet.

It led to the factory floor itself. Ground level. The whole floor was filled with machinery of various shapes and sizes – most of which he couldn't understand. There were conveyor belts to take goods from one big machine to the next and the floor was shiny and reflective, probably to keep contamination from the foodstuffs. The lights were off, but moonlight shone through windows that surrounded the building, all barred and set up high, running around the top of the wall just below the ceiling. Beams of light cut across the floor.

There, at the far side but still a good twenty metres away from the nearest wall, lay Nora. She was slumped in a chair, head forward and her body bound. Unconscious. She had to be unconscious. If not… No. She had to be unconscious.

 _I run out to her, I'm dead. It's obviously a trap._

With all the machinery, not to mention walkways leading up taller machines, the assailant could be hiding anywhere.

"I know you're here!" the man yelled suddenly. His voice echoed from every direction. "Y-You want her, you go get her."

 _He sounds as scared as I feel._ Which was odd, since he could have let Nora go at any time and avoided all this. At the very least, the guy couldn't see him if he had to shout. Taking a step into the room, Jaune slid behind a large stainless-steel vat, pressing his body between it and the wall and creeping around the back.

Fishing out his phone, he set it to silent and dialled Nora's number.

The peppy tones of _Despacito_ played out from far to the left, followed by a curse and the sound of something being angrily thrown away. The mobile cracked on the ground and the song ended.

Jaune was already moving. He clung to the right side of the factory and darted between some machines, eyes tracking to the left where the ring tone had come from. The gun was heavy in his hand as he drew it out and flicked off the safety. This was insane, but there wouldn't be any risks taken. He reached out with his power, searching for water to use, but it was all locked away within strong metal pipes. The machinery was too rugged for him to draw the water out of.

A loud _crack_ echoed through the factory. Sparks danced off the wall to the side of his head – easily two feet high, but it _felt_ closer. He ducked and swore, scurrying to cover as another shot ricocheted off the floor and a third off the conveyor belt he was behind.

None of the shots were accurate, at least by Ruby's standards, but it was the first time anyone had ever opened fire on him, and it was the loudest thing he'd ever heard. His heart hammered in his chest as he huddled behind a machine, nestled between varying valves, pumps and dials. Another shot pinged off the back of the machine, letting him know that the man knew his location. Staying still was a bad idea if he was going to circle around, and yet there were no footsteps. The man shooting him wasn't moving, but rather standing still and keeping his gun trained on the area.

"C-Come out!" the man yelled. "I-If you're Jaune Arc, then come out!"

"Why are you doing this?" Jaune yelled back. "Why do you want to kill me? What did I ever do to you?"

"I don't want-" The man sobbed. _Sobbed_. "I don't want to do this. I – I have to! I don't have a choice! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." He was crying now. Loud and erratically. "J-Just come out and die. I'll let her go, I promise. I don't want to hurt anyone!"

In any other situation, he might have felt a little sympathy. "You're the one with the gun, man. You can put it down and leave at any time. I haven't seen your face."

"I can't! I-I can't." Another shot, this one crashing through steel and making a loud whizzing sound come from the machine. Was that gas? Pressurised gas? "I don't want to die!" the man yelled, shooting again and again. "I don't want to die!"

 _That's my line,_ Jaune thought, scrunching his eyes shut and fighting past the terror in his gut. He had to move. Had to brave the hail of bullets and get away, because if that _was_ gas, then this whole machine could go up.

 _Fuck, fuck, fuck. God, I hope he's not a good shot._

Jaune stood and readied himself, sucked in breath and prepared to take a leap of faith.

 _BANG! BANG! BANG!_

"Aiiiiieeee!" The man screamed and boots echoed on metal.

The shots had come from a different direction. Ruby!

Taking the chance for what it was, Jaune leapt from cover and sprinted faster than he ever had before, legs and arms pumping as he cleared the twenty-five or so metres between his position and a new one. He made it without being shot at once and huddled behind a squat machine with several screens, a conveyor belt leading in and out of it and an X-Ray symbol on it.

"You were told to come alone!" the man shrieked. "I said alone! I-I'll kill her!"

Nora. Shit. He was moving before he could think twice and lose his confidence. He dashed across the floor, slid over the conveyor and ducked low, half-crouching, half-running. A shot hit the floor nearby, muzzle-flash lighting up from a walkway off to one side. More sparks flashed in that direction as Ruby opened fire on the revealed assailant, driving the screaming man away and out of sight again.

Jaune kept running. He kept running. Nora had no cover and was a sitting duck. One shot in her direction and she was dead – dead! He'd already lost Yang. He wasn't losing anyone else because of his inaction, because of his bloody weakness.

"DIE!" the gunman screamed.

He reached Nora a second before something slammed into his back, bowling him forward and into Nora and her chair. They crashed down together in a tangle of limbs. A burning sensation washed over his back as he lay there atop Nora's body, eyes wide.

 _I've been shot,_ he realised, with an alarming sense of calm. _I've been shot in the back._

"JAUNE!" Ruby yelled, giving what covering fire she could. "MOVE!"

Move? Now? He'd just been shot. He was… He was dying. He was going to die. He was in a gunfight with some madman in a factory and he was bleeding all over the floor. He was panting and gasping with a hole in his back, staring down into Nora's wide and terrified eyes.

Nora. She was awake.

Somehow, that calmed him. Gave him a moment of clarity. He took hole of it while he could, grunting and hauling Nora to her feet, chair and all, and dragging both over behind a piece of machinery as gunshots echoed behind them, the shooter finally taking note of Ruby on a walkway high up and firing wildly up at her.

Settling Nora down, Jaune grit his teeth and tried to ignore the pain as he worked on the rope holding her in place. The knot was too tight to undo, but with her help he managed to wriggle it up past her bust and over her head. Loosened, the rest of the coils were easy to remove. She hadn't been tied down well if he could get it off so quick. She moved her arms the second they were free, ripping off the duct-tape over her mouth. A little blood came with it, but she didn't seem to care.

"What is-?"

"Shh." He clamped one hand over her mouth. "Listen, I don't have time to explain. You need to get out of here. Make a break for it. Get home safe."

Her eyes were so wide and so confused, but it was better that way. Ignorance was bliss. It was safety. Knowledge came with far too high a price and _this_ , this wasn't a normal kidnapping or murder. That much was obvious from how deranged the man was.

"You need to run. Nod if you understand."

Nora frantically nodded. He let go of her mouth.

"Jaune, what's happening? I was walking home and t-then this car pulled up. There was a man with a gun. He was crying wildly but t-told me to get in the back or he'd kill me." She was shaking - shaking badly. "I didn't know what to do."

"You did fine. You did okay."

Footsteps echoed nearby.

"Jaune!" Ruby yelled – _not_ _from nearby_.

Without looking, Jaune reached around the corner and squeezed off three shots. The gun kicked in his grip, but he managed to hold on. The shots were wild and random, but it was enough to drive the assailant for cover. Someone better trained like his dad would have kept coming, knowing the chance of him scoring a hit while blind firing to be slim to none. Yet more evidence something was wrong here.

When he looked back, Nora was even more frightened. She hadn't realised he had a gun too. There was no way for her to understand why – or for him to explain. What could he say? What could he possibly say to explain this?

He couldn't.

There was nothing he could say.

"You need to run," he repeated instead, looking at her seriously. "You _need_ to get out of here safe."

"W-Why do you have a gun?"

"You need," he repeated, slowly. "To run."

"Why are-?" Nora froze as she noticed how he was slumped back against the machine. Her attention trailed down, first to his heaving chest and then further, to the blood he'd left behind from where he'd saved her. "Oh my God," she whispered, hands coming to her mouth. "Y-You've been shot."

"It's fine."

"H-How is-?"

"JAUNE!"

Two more shots. Wild and random. They hit something metal. The bastard was trying to find them – even risking being killed by Ruby to do so. To kill him most likely. The chances of Nora being the target were slim to none.

"The sooner you get out, the sooner I can escape," he said, staggering to his feet and dragging a shaking Nora with him. "We need to get to the exit. I… I'm going to try and draw his fire. Are you okay to run?"

"Without you!?"

"For now. Someone has to keep him busy. I have help."

"I heard. Is… Is that Ruby?"

Fuck. Nora really needed to stop noticing things. Stop putting together the pieces before she Awakened to a world far crueller than what she was used to. And if Nora Awakened, Ren wouldn't be far behind.

 _My friends weren't supposed to get involved._

"Can. You. Run?" he hissed, putting all his pain and anger into the words. "This is a serious fucking question, Nora. I don't have time for yours!"

Her eyes hardened. Although she was deathly terrified, and rightfully so, she nodded. "I can. I'll get help. I'll call the cops."

That… That was a terrible idea. A dangerous idea. "Don't," he said, knowing it would be hopeless. What else would Nora do? "No, forget it. Just get ready to run. If you get hit, I'll never forgive you."

"Right." Nora smiled back, eyes heavy with tears. Without warning, she grabbed his face and dragged him down. His eyes widened as her lips connected with his. It wasn't a loving or romantic kiss, rather one in which he felt all her desperate fear, all her affection and concern. "Same goes for you," she whispered as she pulled back. "Don't die. Please."

"Course. I'll be fine." He smiled a smile he didn't feel inside and brought the gun up, pressing his back against cool metal and wincing as pain flared through it. He shot one final look to his friend and winked. "The moment I move, okay? Get out and get safe. Don't stop running, even if you hear gunfire."

"I will. I promise."

"Good." Letting out a long breath, Jaune centred himself. Or at least as best he could. Now or never. He took a second to listen to where the heavy and panicked breathing was coming from then burst around the corner.

The gun kicked in his hands.

The first shot hit a wall. The second hit the wall higher before he accounted for recoil. Neither shot was _at_ anything, but the frightened sound from behind the machine near where he was shooting told him he was on point. "Now!" he yelled.

Nora burst from cover. She was running as fast as she could, head low and arms over it, headed towards the entrance he'd come from. There was a curse from behind the machine but Jaune ran towards it, gun extended and firing.

"I'm over here, bastard! It's me you're after!"

The gun clicked empty and Jaune cursed. The sound carried, the man surging out from behind the machine with a wild look on his face. It was the first time Jaune got to see him properly. The gunman wasn't a hardened criminal or a psychotic. He was a normal-looking man in a business suit creased and covered in sweat. His face was pale, incredibly so, and he had a look of such abject terror on his face that Jaune froze.

And then the man raised a gun.

"Shit!" Jaune threw himself back, but not into cover. He was completely open, but the shots missed, one skimming his arm and drawing a little blood, but the other pinging off metal to his side and showering him with sparks. The gunman was shaking so badly that he couldn't have hoped to aim properly.

He was a nervous wreck.

It was that which gave Jaune the confidence to surge forward instead of back. To bite the bully, possibly literally, and tackle the man head on. He came in low, shoulder and arms wrapping around the man's waist and carrying him back. Together, they slammed into a piece of industrial machinery and bounced off. Jaune landed hard, head spinning, but the man landed beside him and the gun went skittering away. The man screamed and crawled after it.

Through the agony, Jaune reached out and gripped his ankle, crying out as the muscles in his back stretched and spasmed around his wound. It wasn't a strong grip and the man kicked down, striking his face and making him let go as stars and black spots danced in his vision.

A gunshot came from far off to the side before the man could reach the weapon. Sparks flew from the gun itself and it was sent flying away, bouncing off the floor like a pebble across the surface of a lake. Another shot struck the man's hand, making it erupt with blood and bits of bone.

"Arghhhhh! Arghhh!"

"N-Nice one, Ruby." Jaune clenched his teeth and staggered onto his hands and knees. The man was crawling with one hand held to his chest towards where he'd dropped his own gun. It was unloaded, though. The spare magazines were in his pocket. Taking the time to grasp the conveyor and brace himself against it, Jaune staggered out into the open, holding up a hand to signal it was him.

"Are you hit?" Ruby called.

"Y-Yeah. Did Nora escape?"

"She got out."

Relief surged through him. It hurt. "T-That's good."

"Is he dead?"

"No." Jaune looked to where the man had disappeared. It wasn't hard to know he was alive by the sounds of terrified sobbing. "No, he's still alive. And I think we deserve some answers."

The man heard him. "I don't want this! I never wanted this. Please, I have a family!"

"You tried to kill me first. And I think I-"

"No! Please! I tried my best, I tried. I swear I tried. P-Please no…"

"You…" Jaune trailed off. Was the man even speaking to him?

"I tried! I tried! Please no, I beg you! Nooo-" The man choked on air.

There was a moment of silence.

Then the screaming began. "Yaghhhhh! Aiiiiieieee! Noooo! Ackkkkkkk!"

It was the most horrible, discordant and painful sound Jaune had ever heard. As if the man was screaming as every nerve in his body was set in fire. As if his throat was being torn out and he was choking on blood, and yet still screaming through it all. Still screaming even as his voice bubbled and cracked and reached a pitch so high that it snapped in two.

It was the sound of a man being tortured to death.

And then…

Silence.

No screams, no sobs, no broken words. Just the sound of breathing evening out, then the scuffle of someone rising to their feet. The gun, his own discarded and empty one, was tossed aside. It clacked against the floor and slid off into the corner.

Was he giving up?

"Come out where we can see you," Jaune barked. "And don't make any sudden moves or my friend will shoot you dead. We've got a few questions for you – and you'll give us answers if you know what's best for you."

And then… And then he needed this wound dealing with. Shit, was a hospital even possible? They'd ask where the wound came from, not to mention Nora would have called the cops by that point. There would be a whole lot of questions he wouldn't have the answers for. Questions like why this happened, where he got a gun from and why he'd come here with a young girl instead of calling the police.

Even if he tried his best to answer them, a cell would surely be the result. He'd be stuck in a room without a means of defending himself, prey for the Grimm on the next Nightmare – or just any that came slipping through the bars.

Ozpin. Ozpin would know what to do. He just had to get to Beacon. But first, this.

The man came strolling out from behind the machine, arms spread wide, palms – or palm – toward Jaune. His stump continued to bleed across the floor, but the man seemed ignorant of it. Or just uncaring.

"You got me," he said, voice no longer tinged with terror but amusement. His head was bowed but he looked up slowly. "I wonder what you'll do. Jaune~"

Yellow eyes. Glowing.

"Fuck…"

Fire curled out from behind the Grimm-possessed man, spreading as quickly as it had when it incinerated Blake, burning her body to ash. It curled across the floor like a snake, but instead of going for him it went wide to the right. To the machine which was hissing gas.

"Fuck!" Jaune yelled again, throwing himself aside right as the flames reached up and wrapped around the pipes.

The gas explosion was huge.

It wasn't like a fire spreading – more like a bomb going off. The huge cylindrical machine erupted outward, spraying metal shards in every direction, but the force of the blast – and the heat – picked Jaune's body up and _hurled_ him across the factory. He slammed into several plastic pallets on the other side, splintering through one and causing others to rain down on him. Gunshots echoed from Ruby, but another explosion shook the facility. A twisted, horrible groan sounded from the metal walkway as it collapsed, dragging Ruby down with it and sending her crashing onto the floor.

"Oh Jaune~" the man called; the intonation was feminine even if the voice was not. "Did you think you were rid of me? Did you think it would be that easy?"

Farleigh. Rebecca Farleigh.

Another explosion cut off their escape, blasting flames and debris across the entrance he'd come through. The fire quickly began to spread, catching the walls and racing unnaturally along them, reaching a stack of metal barrels and causing those to erupt as well, blowing a hole in one wall and sending brickwork tumbling down.

The entire building was a death trap. One they'd come walking into.

"I am fire. I am ash. I am all that burns and all that remains when the fires are gone. I am the beginning and the end of life." The Grimm within the now-dead man laughed. "But you, Jaune. You may call me Cinder."

Her eyes flashed.

"For it's all that will remain of you. In whichever world you hide."

* * *

 **I doubt anyone is surprised it's Cinder at this point. It was never meant to be a mystery, what with the use of fire and the yellow eyes – but there was just never any time before to clarify it. Jaune only ever knew her as Rebecca Farleigh and it wasn't like she'd go "Oh, do you want to know my name before you kill me?"**

" **Uh. No. Not really…"**

" **Oh. Okay…"**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 21** **st** **April**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	29. Chapter 29

**My puppy is still sick and refusing to eat, which means I'm stupidly distracted today looking after her. Chapter is rushed as a result.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 29**

* * *

The fire was everywhere. Jaune threw himself behind some machinery and kept running, knowing that she at least for now didn't have a gun. Ruby did. If he could draw Rebecca – Cinder – out into the open, then Ruby could deal with her.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are~"

Flames cut ahead, streaking across the floor as if they had a mind of their own. The flickering tongues seemed to turn towards him. Perceive him.

"There you are."

He had half a second to react and fall flat before the piece of equipment behind him was incinerated. Blown away by a gout of flame that tore through steel. It didn't melt it. It just… blew through it as if it were nothing.

Desperately, he reached for water. Any water. The sprinkler systems should have been the most obvious choice – but they were far above and, to his frustration, locked behind powerful seals and valves. Cinder's fire hadn't set them off. It wasn't natural fire. It burned and seared like it, but it worked without fuel, as evidenced by the fire circling across the concrete floor in search for him at that moment. With no fuel to burn, there was no smoke. No smoke meant no fire alarm and no automated sprinklers to give him a break.

The fire crept closer.

Ruby opened fire.

The four shots in quick succession must have pushed Cinder back, because the flames that had been creeping across the floor hesitated for a moment. That was his cue to jump to his feet and sprint on, the muscles in his back pulling and tearing against the wound that lay there. The exit wasn't too far ahead, but he held back from taking it, pausing at the door to look back into the factory.

Would Cinder die from her wound if they ran now? She might not. If she lived, she'd have another body here – not to mention that it might be someone who could spin the police a tale about what happened here, blaming them. Even if the police didn't believe that, Ruby and he would be brought in for questioning and made to explain a lot of things they really couldn't.

And if she didn't, Cinder might be free to go after his family.

"Fuck," he hissed, limping back toward the fight.

He needed his gun back. The only way out of this was Cinder's host being killed. That would still be all kinds of bad with the evidence, assuming fingerprints could survive this fire. Even if they didn't, Nora's witness testimony would, along with a dead body. Charred, but recognisable as human.

They were shafted either way.

"Might as well take her down with us…"

Ruby darted across a mezzanine walkway, vaulted over the railing and landed on one below, criss-crossing in the opposite direction. The one she had been on a second earlier collapsed under the force of a fireball striking the wall, cracking the stone and freeing one of the supports for the walkway. It leaned and veered precariously, crashed into the one she was now on and then brought that down as well.

She rode it halfway and jumped, landing with a brief stumble atop an industrial silo. She caught a handle near the top with one hand, balanced on the slippery slope and shot down towards Cinder, managing two shots before her handgun clicked empty.

The flames that roared up towards her forced her to jump off. The fall was a short but hard one, and though Ruby rolled on the treated concrete, it still had to hurt. Stumbling to her feet, she was quick to stagger away, reloading as she went.

Jaune picked his way around the opposite side of Cinder, slipping past machines. There was no telling if she thought he'd left or not, but the handgun he'd lost earlier was still over on the other side where Nora had once been. Cinder hadn't bothered with it, lacking the magazines he had in his pocket. While she was distracted with Ruby, he crept closer.

"I can _smell_ my mate's scent on you." It was the only warning he got as Cinder threw a hand back. "It does not belong to you!"

He ran past the wall of fire that rushed toward him, but a tendril lashed out. Like a whip. It reminded him instantly of the balrog scene from Lord of the Rings, except that he wasn't Gandalf and the fire _blistered_ his skin. The pain was immeasurable.

"Arghhhhhhh!"

"Jaune!" Ruby yelled. "Get off him!"

Cinder was bowled over by Ruby, breaking the connection and letting him wrench his foot free. His trousers had been burned away to his knee and his skin was black, red and crackling like the skin of a pig roasted over a fire. It was hard to tell how bad the damage was with the low light, flames everywhere and the sound of Ruby and Cinder grappling on the floor.

Using his hands to drag himself, he slithered and crawled over to the weapon, snatching it up and rolling onto his back, digging out a magazine and slipping it in even as tears ran down his cheeks. His leg hurt so bad – and his back. Yet he slid and clicked it in, chambered a round and flicked off the safety.

He needn't have.

Ruby pushed herself up off Cinder's body. The man on the floor, the possessed man, stared up with golden eyes through a face that seemed to be more a deflated paper bag than an actual face. His skin was wrinkly and sunken, his hair grey and straggly and his body mass looked to have become a tenth of what it had once been.

In a matter of seconds, Ruby had aged the man to the point of death.

Ruby looked to him, then came over to help him up. Her fingers found his, and though he swallowed a little fear, did not age him. She hooked his arm over her shoulder so that she could support his weight and let him hop on his one good foot. Together, they stumbled and staggered back over to the helpless Grimm.

"It's over," Jaune hissed. "You're finished."

"Am I?" The dry, scratchy sound came from a throat close to collapse. "Oh, so foolish. So naïve."

"You tried to kill us again and you failed – and you lost another body for it. We'll locate your real body before anyone else can wander into your domain." He managed to bring his gun up to aim at her. "And for trying to kill one of my friends, I'll make sure you die. Face it. You've lost."

Cinder laughed.

Even as she lay dying, she laughed.

"Such a silly boy, only ever seeing half of the picture. This body was never meant to last. Poor Phillip was always so nervous, so frightened. Always begging me not to hurt him, not to hurt his family. He has a wife and a daughter, you know?" Her lips peeled up, cracking her skin and causing dry blood to ooze out. "Did you not wonder why you met him first and not I? Why I did not possess him from the start and face you myself?"

At the time, no. He'd been too busy trying to get Nora out safe to question it. But now, with her words and her ego on display, he knew better. That man hadn't wanted to kill him. He'd been terrified and quite obviously forced into it, likely with the threat of his soul being consumed, or his family being killed.

But why? Why play such games? Why not just kill him straight away and take his body? Cinder could have done a much better job at killing them, using both her fire powers and the gun. Instead, she'd left it to someone who had been a complete amateur.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because… hah." Her smile grew, breaking her face. "I was busy…"

"With what?"

"All the others." Cinder's body shook. "Enjoy my… gift… to you… and remember." Her eyes closed. "I have many, many more."

The man's body heaved one last time and then lay still. The unnatural light behind his eyes, and the cloying scent of fire and ash, dwindled away. The flames around the factory did as well – at least those that had been formed through her power. Some parts of the factory still smouldered, ignited as a result of her power but natural in their own right.

"What did she mean?"

"Who knows." Ruby hauled him a little higher. "We should get out of here before the police come."

"Honestly, I'm surprised it's taking them this long."

Ruby froze. "Why _is_ it taking them? Where are the sirens?"

"Nora's phone was broken."

"And you're saying someone wouldn't notice a building on fire in the middle of the night?"

Ruby and Jaune shared a nervous look before they were moving, Ruby holding him up as he staggered along, dragging him out of the still-burning factory and onto the road outside. The orange light from the building behind splashed over them and onto the road, but it was backlit against a city that was on fire. Great plumes of smoke billows up from across Vale. In the distance, the sounds of sirens and screams could be heard.

Vale was burning.

/-/

"Contact Boston! We need more staff here _now_!" The doctor slammed a hand down on the desk. "This is an emergency. A terrorist attack. Something!"

"This way, ma'am. That's it." A nurse led a badly burned woman past.

Trolleys and gurneys were pushed left and right, some people kept on drips out in the hallway. The hospital's facilities simply weren't big enough to cope with the influx of victims, many in terrible condition.

"Ambulance crews to Lord Street."

"All crews are already out!"

" _Doctor Munroe to ER. Doctor Munroe to ER_."

"He's going into cardiac arrest! Defibrillator!"

Doctors, nurses and even janitorial staff ran about in a panic, chipping in where they could, pulling gurneys away and helping the injured to sit down. The ER room was filled with the sounds of moans, pleas for help or just quiet sobbing. As the doors opened, yet more people surged in, some carried, pushed on trolleys or aided by others. Outside, more sirens flashed in colours of blue and red.

Among those entering, a man in a thick raincoat approached the counter, shaking wildly.

The woman behind, already overworked, looked up. "Sir, can I help you?"

"I… I… She…"

"Sir, what appears to be the matter? Are you hurt? Do you require assistance…?"

The man's eyes rolled in their sockets. His face was covered in a sheen of sweat. "Help… me…"

"Sir, we will help you as best we can." The woman stood and moved around. "Can you tell me what's wrong? Please be as specific as possible."

"Don't want to… Never wanted to. I'm sorry, so sorry."

"Sir?"

"Kill me. She will… like the others. Devour us. N-No hope. All going to die…"

"Sir," the woman touched his shoulder. "Have you taken any substances you should not have?"

"My children. She will… she'll… kill them…"

"Who is _she_ , sir?"

The man's eyes fixed on the tired doctor. "I'm so sorry," he repeated, voice broken.

His jacket swung open. Rows on rows of objects were strapped over his chest, replete with wires and dials that affixed them to what looked to be canisters of some kind. The man's face, revealed at last, was torn with terror and guilt.

"I'M SO SORRY!" he screamed.

The doctor – and a nurse – moved to tackle him.

The ER exploded into flames.

/-/

"The hospital is on fire."

"Police stations have been hit."

"Airport is down, as are the train stations. One of the bridges into Vale has been hit, too."

"Fire everywhere. About the only thing that _wasn't_ hit was the fire stations. You think that was an oversight?"

"No." Ozpin leaned away from the table, eyes fixed on the TV screen at the back of the bar area. "I think it's a message. A warning."

"A warning of what…?"

The door bowled open and two familiar figures entered, figures that Ozpin suspected were, if not the cause of this then at least related. He approached quickly, noting the damage and taking Jaune's arm from Ruby's.

"Tell me what happened."

"One of his friends was kidnapped. We went, saved her and killed the Grimm responsible." Ruby was as acute as ever. "We came out in time to see the city on fire. What's going on? Nightmare?"

"Nothing so fortunate. There have been attacks across the city. Some cases of arson, others of typically respectable people going mad and turning on friends and family."

"It's Cinder…" Jaune groaned.

Ozpin shot Ruby a look.

"The Grimm we faced. He needs a bathtub full of water."

"He needs a hospital," Ozpin said, "Though given the current situation, I don't believe ours is in good condition right now."

"Water will help heal him."

"I shall take your word for it. Come with me." Ozpin hoisted Jaune up over one shoulder in a military carry and made his way to the stairs. Hunters gave way quickly, many still watching the news with a horrible sense of helplessness.

They fought Grimm. Not people with bombs and guns.

Moving through the corridor on the first floor, Ozpin pushed open the door to his quarters and stepped through, indicating to a door to the side with his head. "Bathroom is through there. Start the tap running and I'll see what can be done about the boy's wounds."

He pushed some books and notepads off his desk and laid Jaune down on it, only to pause when Jaune groaned and struggled, rolling himself over onto his stomach. Experience told Ozpin that wasn't a bad sign. The human body tended to know which way it wanted to turn and lay. Once Jaune was on his back, the reason why became clear.

"Is that a gunshot?"

"Y-Yeah…" Jaune's voice was weak. "I've lost… lot of blood…"

"Ruby seems to think a bath will help you recover." Ozpin kept his tone light, friendly. "I'm no doctor, but perhaps there is some truth in it. I won't lie. If it doesn't work, you'll likely bleed to death."

"Hospital?"

"It's been firebombed."

He groaned. "Cinder…"

"No Grimm, actually. The news is patchy, but the attack blew up the ER, not the entire building. There are a few witnesses who are claiming it was a normal man behind this. We're not sure on a motive yet but-"

"No. It's Cinder. Plan. All… her plan…"

"I'll have Ruby explain it. You should rest." Ozpin poked around the wound in his back. "I'm not sure how this Grimm healing of Ruby's is going to work, but I've a feeling _this_ needs to be out of your body." He felt the man's muscles tense. It must have hurt because he untensed a second later and let out a fitful groan. "I'll get you something to bite down on. And a pair of tongs from the kitchen. You're the doctor here, or close enough. Any advice?"

"Sterilise…"

/-/

"He should be okay," Ruby said, helping to lower the injured Jaune down into the tub full of cold water. He had his boxers on still but was naked but for that. There was blood around his side, spilled out from Ozpin's impromptu surgery. The wound was still open, but when he was lowered into the water, it didn't turn red, nor did clouds of blood come from the wound.

"Interesting. Is he controlling the water to keep the injury compressed?"

"No. It's his domain."

"That does not provide me much in the way of answers, Miss Rose."

"It's all we have. Explaining it in your language isn't possible." Checking one last time to make sure he was okay, Ruby let out a long breath and sat on the edge of the tub, her own exhausted muscles finally giving way.

Ozpin took her arm before she could get comfortable. "I have a couch outside that will be far kinder on your back."

Ruby nodded and let him escort her out of the bathroom and toward it. He sat her down and she rolled over, kicking her sneakers off as she did. Every bit of her felt sore, like she'd spent the last few hours spinning around in a tumble dryer.

"Mr Arc seems to believe an individual is responsible for attacks on Vale." Ozpin sat behind his desk. "Tell me more."

"You'll have to tell me about the attacks first."

"Very well. Starting at the stroke of midnight, several arson attacks took place across the city. The attacks were for the most part unconnected. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to the targets, bar for the recent attack on the hospital, which is obviously to prolong the suffering."

"No." Ruby brought an arm up over her face. "It's to get Jaune killed."

"Oh?"

"The Grimm who kidnapped his friend has been hunting him ever since he killed Leviathan. She lured him – us – to a factory on the edge of the city, then had the man responsible engage us. Jaune was injured, and now there's an attack on the hospital. The timing is too convenient."

"Are you certain? The news for now is that the one who attacked the hospital seemed crazed and afraid for his life. Not exactly the motivated actions of a possessed human."

"Same as the one who attacked us. She didn't take him over at first. Not until he was beaten and on the verge of death. Why? Why not take over immediately and make the ambush ten times as deadly? She could have kept the hostage for longer, smelled us approach and used her powers to trap us in a burning building." Ruby looked up. "When Jaune asked why she didn't, Cinder said it was because she was _busy_."

"Busy with this." Ozpin sighed and brought a hand up to shield his face. "Using agents instead of her own actions, and reluctant agents if the news is anything to go by."

"The man who attacked us was sobbing and terrified. He didn't want to be there."

"Threatened, then. Awakened if he could interact with this Cinder Grimm."

"She made it sound like she wasn't concerned at her new body being taken from her. I did think it was weird that she managed to find another body so quickly, but I think I had it wrong. We all did. This isn't a new person wandering into her domain. It's someone who was _already_ in her domain. A whole host of people."

"Hostages…"

"More like a farm." Ruby scowled. "She's cultivating them. Keeping them like chickens in a coop. Whenever she needs a body, she devours one and takes theirs – but she can also force them to follow orders by threatening them in their dreams, then forcing them to carry out certain actions while awake."

"And the punishment for failure is death," Ozpin finished. "Rather than act on her own, she has been building an empire without us ever realising it." His fingers tapped on the desk. "The mall. The disappearances. Those were all her, slowly collecting her forces and finding those in positions she could use."

"She didn't put up much of a fight at the mall. Now we know why…"

Ozpin looked over. "Do we know how many she might have?"

"No. There's no way to know. But it'll be more than she used tonight. You'd want to keep spare bodies around for emergencies."

"We've not seen anything like this before." Ozpin said. "Why? Collecting prospective hosts seems a wise choice. Why have more Grimm not utilised it?"

Ruby shrugged. "I don't know."

"Think, then. You're aware that Mr Arc has someone within his domain. Yes?"

"I've felt her. Jaune knows about it."

"Weiss Schnee. Originally hunted by the Grimm who lives above Mr Arc's domain, she has found safety in the water and chooses to stay there. Considering what we've just heard, I doubt those kept by this Cinder Grimm feel any security. So, why would they choose to stay?"

"Maybe she _does_ keep them safe. Or safer than the alternatives."

"Meaning?"

"They're souls she wants to keep in one piece so that she has people she can take over and use to influence things. Even if she's prepared to kill them at any moment, that's still better than being in any other domain. Those Grimm will kill you the second they see you."

"Better the devil you know," Ozpin mused. "And, of course, while your soul might be expunged at any moment, there is also safety in a group. She is likely to only kill one at a time, giving you a small chance of survival. You may be onto something, Miss Rose. It could be that they have no option but to stay in the domain of the one who protects them." He frowned. "It may also be that there _is_ no means of escaping her domain. Either an inescapable barrier or some form of obstruction that keeps them trapped."

Ruby shrugged. "Maybe."

"This is a problem. We've no idea how many she might have hold of, and if she is after Mr Arc, then the attacks will continue. Worse, it seems she has a vendetta against Vale as well now."

"Leviathan was her mate. They were supposed to sink Vale together."

"Before Jaune killed it. Revenge, then? It seems petty…"

"Pettiness is a human emotion. She and her mate had a plan. They invested years, maybe even decades, into making that plan work. Jaune, and Vale, ruined it. It's not petty to think they might ruin future plans too. Getting rid of both becomes the logical choice."

"That logic is cold and unfeeling." Ozpin nodded when she looked over. "I know. I know. Human interpretation and morality. You'll have to remember that we're all human here, Ruby. Most of us anyway. It's not always easy to see through the eyes of another creature. Not for us, anyway."

Ruby nodded and said nothing.

"I'll let you rest for now. Keep an eye on Mr Arc, and make sure he has a spare change of clothes when he awakes. If his condition worsens, come find me. I shall have Oscar bring up some food for you both."

"Thanks."

/-/

"How bad is it?"

"Bad," Velvet replied, looking to Ozpin as he came down the stairs. "They're undecided on whether it's a terrorist attack or gang violence, but there is talk of military being dispatched. Or FBI at the very least."

"It might be the CIA if they decide it's a national emergency."

"It isn't, though. This is limited to Vale…"

"Paranoia has a way of affecting people's judgement." Ozpin sat down. "We'll hope it doesn't come to that. Either way, the public's attention is going to be focused on the city now. If another Nightmares happens, we may well be looking at a fresh host of Awakened."

Which might well be what Jaune and Ruby's problem Grimm intended. They were due a Nightmare, the last having been quite a while ago now. Even assuming they managed to get that on track, there was the fact that law enforcement was now looking for dangerous and suspicious individuals, the shoes of which their hunters would certainly fill.

"Velvet. I want you to go and make contact with Miss Schnee again. Guard her."

"I thought she was mostly safe from the Grimm now."

"It's not Grimm I'm worried about."

* * *

 **Argh. Short is short. Sorry about that. Been running back and forth to try and convince her to eat just about anything – and since it's Easter, all of the supermarkets are shut, so it's not like I can even go and buy some raw meat she might be tempted by. I'll be trying to take her to the vet again and hoping they have some update on the tests they took on Saturday.**

 **Anyway, on this chapter, Cinder has been busy.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 28** **th** **April**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	30. Chapter 30

**Argh. Busy, busy, busy day. Mostly pupper-related STILL.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 30**

* * *

" _The death toll is currently at over six hundred, with over one thousand injured and many more affected. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, but Republicans and Democrats are calling it an affront on the people of America. The President has offered his thoughts and prayers while also promising to spare no expense in tracking down and dealing with those responsible."_

" _Thanks to the hard work of professionals and volunteers from Boston, Vale General is still open, though the ER is closed. Signage is in place for those with injuries, though the hospital has requested that only those in serious danger."_

" _On potentially related news, suspicious individuals have been reported on the Waters Edge Boulevard, some carrying weapons. Citizens are warned to avoid the area, report any sightings and not to approach these individuals, who may well be dangerous. In the meantime, citizens of Vale should expect an increased police force and more checks on those entering and leaving the city. This is Lisa Lavender, signing out."_

The screen flashed back to the weather and more generalised cross-US news. The volume was also decreased by Ozpin, who stood behind the bar shaking his head. Before it, sat on two stools, Ruby and Jaune ate breakfast. Hastily prepared eggs and bacon. Oscar did what he could, but given the attack, Beacon was busier than ever. Every hunter in the city wanted to know what the hell was going on outside.

"How is your back, Mr Arc?"

"Huh?" Jaune looked up, surprised. "Oh. Yeah. It's better. Not healed entirely, but far more than it should be. It was kinda scary to wake up and think I was drowning, though." He laughed awkwardly but let it die when no one else joined in. "The city thinks it's us. Don't they?"

"They don't know about us, so it's hard to think that. But yes. I suspect this was this `Cinder's` plan from the start. She seems like one who likes to use humans to achieve her goals. A rarity among what little we know of the Grimm."

"She probably learned it from humans," Ruby said.

"When she was first trying to sacrifice me, she mentioned how the original Rebecca Farleigh was into occult stuff and tried to summon a demon to get back at her school bullies."

"A not unusual tale sadly. I expect that means she had ten or more years in our world, years she apparently spent learning from us. Adapting. Grimm are dangerous because of their capabilities, but we even the battlefield through intellect and strategy. To think that there is one out there now not only able to match our strategies, but who may have sleeper agents across the city, is terrifying."

"Wouldn't we be able to smell them?" Jaune asked.

"It would be too faint. Blake was only able to smell you when you were close, and even I noticed that your scent would wane through the day. It's only strong in the morning, after you'd spent the night in Leviathan's Domain. It'll be the same for them." Ruby picked at her food. "And unless you haven't noticed, the entire city smells of one thing right now."

Fire and ash. It wasn't just an attack and a means of exposing the hunters, but a way of masking her presence. It wouldn't work if she manifested – the smell of an actual Grimm was powerful – but it would be enough to keep them from being able to track down and isolate the people caught by Cinder. And even if they did hunt them down, could they kill them? Was that right? They were victims in the same way he'd been.

Or had they thrown that away the moment they gave in to her demands?

"I think it would be best if you stayed here today," Ozpin said. "Both of you. There's no telling whether she found a way to leak your identities to the media or not. Then there is your friend, who you helped escape. I'm sure she will be looking for you."

"What do I do if she calls me? Hell, it's a miracle my parents haven't called yet."

"Deflect. Deceive."

"How!? Nora just saw me get shot! Not to mention the gunfight we were in. How am I just going to write that off?" Jaune cupped his face with both hands. "Christ, how am I going to go back to school?"

"You're not," Ruby said.

"I have to! This isn't as easy for me as it is you. I can't just stop going to school or stop talking to my family."

Ruby scowled. "At least you _have_ one."

Shit. He hadn't meant it like that. "Sorry. It's just… I don't know what to do."

"Understandable." Ozpin set down a glass he'd been polishing and picked up another. "I cannot tell you what to do with your life, but I would point out that while your friends and family might be hurt by your absence, they can survive that. If you tell them the truth, or even if you continue to exist around them, you will run the risk of them Awakening."

"I can't just pretend they don't exist, though. They'll come looking for me. Nora and Ren would get themselves killed and Cinder is already after my family. If they come to Vale…"

"It's not ideal. I realise. You _are_ Grimm now. Or partially. You would be stronger than most if you chose to fight. You could defend them better than many can. It's your choice to make ultimately, but I'd rather you be aware of the risks."

"I am. I…" He ran a hand through his hair and looked down at his scroll. No calls yet, but two texts. One from his mom and one from Ren. That one was just thanking him for finding Nora. No specifics. No questions. "I think I need to talk to Nora."

Ruby made to stand but he placed a hand on her arm.

"Alone."

With a shrug, she sat back down again.

"Go in disguise," Ozpin suggested. "I can have someone drive you to wherever you need to go. No questions asked. If you need to get out in a hurry, you can call me."

"Thank you."

"Please come back here tonight, however. Gather what you need from your apartment, but I think with our enemy on the move, it would help if we could coordinate our efforts. I'd also like to introduce you to someone."

"Sure." Jaune smiled, grateful for the old man's help. "Can I get that ride?"

"Finish your food. I'll ask someone to give you a lift." Ozpin stepped out from behind the bar and approached a nearby table to speak with a woman there of around twenty-five or so years. Jaune couldn't hear what was being said, but went back to his breakfast, polishing off the plate.

"You're not angry. Are you?" he asked Ruby.

"No. But I hope you know what you're doing." She touched his hand, eyes serious. "Don't let them Awaken."

He nodded back, taking the advice as seriously as he could. There was no telling what would happen if Nora or Ren Awakened. They might be like him, dragged into the domain of another Grimm. Even if they weren't, the life of the average hunter was a short one.

"I won't let that happen."

/-/

Nora saw him coming from her bedroom window and had exactly no idea what to do.

It was one of the first time she'd ever felt that way. Even with Ren, she'd known that if she liked him, she had to show it. He'd say yes or not. Instead, she'd gotten an "eh, kind of", which was better than a no but still confusing as all heck.

Somehow not as confusing as her other best friend was to her right now.

She heard the doorbell ring and Jaune talk to her foster parents. They were a nice couple, though heavily religious and pitying with her, like they thought she was already going to hell because she was wild, talked to boys and wasn't interested in going to church. They were okay, though. They looked after her, fed her, prayed for her and didn't limit her freedom. Sure, they were only fostering her because they thought it made them better Christians or something, but she'd seen and had worse in the past.

There was a knock at her door. "Nora," her foster mother called sweetly. "One of your friends is here to see you. Are you feeling up to talking with him? I can say no if you like."

Was she? Not really.

But moping around wasn't going to fix anything.

"No. I'm okay. One second!"

She pulled on a pair of trainers and checked her hair in the mirror, using it more as an excuse to delay than because she was actually worried about her appearance. That did let her take herself in though, and Nora winced. Her eyes had bags under them, and no amount of makeup was going to make it any less obvious that she hadn't slept a wink last night. How could she? Attacks all over the city, her being kidnapped and then Jaune – her sweet but goofy and a bit of a pushover best friend – had come bursting into a gunfight, dragging her out of danger while he was shot in the back.

 _He's not going to wait forever, girl. Get down there and give him your best._

So saying, Nora pushed out her room and smiled weakly for her foster mother, who quickly saw how tired she was and asked if she was _sure_ she would be okay. "I'll be fine," she said. "Hanging out with Jaune will help take my mind off it."

"I didn't say it was Jaune…"

"I saw him out the window."

"Hm. Okay then. Make sure to stay out of trouble, though. And I don't want you out late. Not at the moment and not with you not having a phone. Richard will take you into town to get another one tomorrow. Okay?"

"Yes. Thank you. I appreciate it." Always be polite. Always be grateful. It was one of the earliest lessons of being an orphan she'd learned. "I don't think I'm up for staying out long. Maybe an hour or two."

"Good. You need your rest." The woman smiled pityingly. "Go on then. Have fun."

Nora winced and nodded, heading down the stairs with her usual cheer to find her foster father, Richard, lecturing Jaune on how he shouldn't push her too hard after her `mugging` and how he also hadn't seen Jaune at the local church last weekend.

Just seeing him standing there had her heart racing. Not in the same way Ren did. She looked him up and down, taking in the fact that he was not only perfectly healthy, but also standing tall and unbowed. Had he been to the hospital already? That seemed like a really hefty recovery from being shot in the back. _Not including whatever else happened after I ran…_

Knowing that she couldn't just hide and watch, she approached cautiously.

"You'd take care of your body. Wouldn't you? You need to take care of your spirit, too."

"I go back home in Boston," Jaune lied.

"Every church is a house of God. You should come to our- oh, hello dear. Are you feeling better this morning?" They turned to her and Nora froze, trapped under Jaune's eyes. Eyes that had never seemed quite so piercing or quite so dangerous before.

"Ah. Um. Yeah. Hey Jaune."

"Hey Nora." He looked as awkward as she felt. "You, uh, feeling okay?"

"Yeah. Great." Her appearance told the lie there. "So, you wanted to talk? Or hang out?"

"To talk. I couldn't call your phone…" He trailed off.

"Yeah." Geez, this was awkward. Single word answers and questions seemed the order of the day. "Your place?"

"Sure. Sounds good…"

They left the house in silence, walked in silence and avoided eye contact in silence. Eventually, they reached the park which covered the man route between her foster parents' house and Jaune's apartment. A nice, secluded area where people could talk about anything without being seen or heard. Where anything could happen. Nora scuffed the grass with one foot and looked away from Jaune.

"So. Is this the part where you silence me…?"

Jaune rounded on her, eyes wide. "What!?"

He sounded so shocked that Nora couldn't help but giggle. More hysteric than anything, it soon took over her and she bent double, hands across her stomach as she laughed and laughed. At a time like this, it didn't feel like there was anything she could do _but_ laugh.

He didn't agree. "Why would you say that? I risked my life to _save_ you, not to kill you."

"S-Sorry." She wiped away a tear. More threatened to fall and she sniffed them away angrily. "I'm not exactly thinking straight, Jauney. I thought I was going to die."

"I'd never have-"

"Not here. There. With that man."

"Ah." He looked away and scratched his head in that way he did whenever someone said something he wasn't sure how to deal with. In that, at least, he was just like he always was. The familiarity helped calm her frayed nerves. "I'm sorry, Nora. That… It was my fault he took you."

"I know."

"You… knew?"

"He told me. That man… he was hysterical. Babbling." Even just thinking back on it, she'd been so sure he was insane. "He kept talking about how he didn't want to, but _she_ would kill him and his family if he didn't. Then he told me to open my eyes. Open my eyes and see the world for what it really is. He kept mumbling your name, too. Jaune Arc. Jaune Arc. Jaune Arc. Over and over, like he was terrified of forgetting it or getting it wrong."

"Shit. Damn, Nora. I'm so sorry…"

"You didn't know." She hesitated. "You didn't know. Right?"

"That he'd make a move on you? No. I didn't even know he _existed_ before last night."

Nora sagged and let out a breath. "Okay. That's good. But who _was_ he?"

"Before that, what did you tell the police?"

"I… I didn't. I never called them." At his shocked look, she turned away, defensive. "What was I supposed to say? I was worried about you – you'd been shot. And… and once I got out, I didn't have my cell anymore. And by the time I found a phone, the entire city was on fire! Sirens everywhere. Terrorist attacks. A bombing at the hospital. I… I just told my foster parents I was mugged. That they took my phone, threatened me and roughed me up a little. I figured the police would be on their way once they saw the fire anyway, and it took me an hour to get home. By that time, I didn't know if it would be too late."

"And you didn't call them today?"

Nora shrugged helplessly. "Not yet. I was gonna go today."

"Can you…?" Jaune trailed off.

Nora knew. "Not report it?"

He nodded awkwardly.

"I… I figured it would be something like that." She giggled nervously. "I mean, you had a gun. And your friend, Ruby. And then that person. A-And you were shot, but you're better now, which shouldn't be possible."

"I went to the hospital."

"You didn't." She smiled weakly. "There's an emergency line for finding if people you know are hurt. I checked it for both you and Ren. Neither of you booked into a hospital and Ren is fine. His home was untouched."

"Ah." Jaune looked away. He obviously hadn't expected her to call his bluff.

"What's happening, Jaune?"

"I can't tell you."

"Can't?"

"Shouldn't. It's not safe."

"Jaune, someone kidnapped me. Threatened to kill me."

"And that is on the _low end_ of what could have happened." His matter of fact answer silenced her. "This was one person and a nutjob at that. It could have been so much worse and if I tell you, it'll get that much worse. You'll be in constant danger, and Ren will as well for being near you. Just like you were in danger for being near me."

"Are… Are you in a gang?"

"No." His face wavered. "Actually, yes."

"At least lie well if you're going to," she huffed.

"Sorry." He looked it. Oddly enough. "It's probably for the best if you think it's a gang, though. Let's just say I'm in a rough spot right now. And a part of that put you in danger, which I never thought would happen."

"Do you owe money to someone?"

"Yeah."

Another lie. Jaune was bad at it. Always had been. It was part of his charm normally, but her nerves were just frayed enough that it pissed her off right now. "At least come up with your own lies and don't use mine!" she snapped, throwing her arms in the air. "W-What am I supposed to do? My best friend is… is some kind of contract killer-"

"What? I'm not an assassin for hire."

"W-Well what am I supposed to think you are? How many normal guys come barging into an abandoned building shooting?"

"Police?"

"And are you an undercover police officer?"

He grimaced.

"Exactly," she said. "So I don't know what I'm supposed to think. Except you're in danger. I'm in danger. Vale is in danger."

"You won't be in danger if I can sort this out."

"If, Jaune. If."

"I-I'll keep you safe."

"And what about you? Who keeps you safe?"

"I'm trying my best!" he growled. "Give me a break, Nora."

"Don't get angry at me for _me_ being kidnapped, nearly killed then _lied_ to by my best friend!" she hissed straight back. "You don't get a break for that! Not if you're going to lie to my face when someone just tried to fucking _kill_ me!"

"Just… don't tell the police. Or Ren."

"Oh for…" She cut off, foster-parental teaching instinctively preventing her using the lord's name in vain. That annoyed her even more. "What would I even tell them? I've got no idea what's even going on."

"That's for the best."

"To hell with your best! I need to know-" Nora cut off with a gasp as they exited the park and stepped onto the connecting street. Jaune followed her lead a second later, letting out a strangled cry and running forward. "Jaune, wait!"

A police cordon was stretched across the street cutting off the road and pathways and surrounding the charred and broken remains of an apartment block. Jaune's apartment block. It was nothing more than pile of twisted beams, ash and black smoke.

A uniformed officer caught Jaune before he could break through and pushed him back. "No access, kid. This is a-"

"I live there!"

The officer froze for a second, then let go. He didn't let Jaune through, however. "You lived here?"

"He was at my house," Nora lied, catching up. "We were just coming back when we saw this. "What happened?"

"I'm not at liberty to say. Investigation in process. Oh, who am I kidding. Everyone knows. You were lucky to be out, kid. This place got hit bad. Almost as bad as Vale General. I'm afraid you're going to need to find somewhere else to stay. If you've lost family, we can-"

Since it was clear Jaune was too shocked to speak, she answered for him. "His parents live in Boston. He was here alone."

"Small mercies at least. I'll need your name for the record, kid. We don't want to put you down as missing if we can help it."

"Jaune. Jaune Arc. A-And my other friend who lives here, Ruby Rose, she's okay as well. I saw her earlier today."

"Jaune Arc. Ruby Rose." The officer wrote it down on a notepad. "Right. Good to know. There's a shelter being set up in the town centre for those displaced. There will be a food kitchen, too. If you need somewhere to stay, head there. We're treating this as a humanitarian disaster."

"He can stay at my place," Nora said.

"No." Jaune shook his head. "I have somewhere else. It's fine. Sir, can you… the owners of this place. Mr and Mrs Mars. Elderly couple that lived on the bottom floor. Did they…?"

The police officer's expression said it all. The ambulances that were parked nearby were a sombre reminder, and since the sirens weren't flashing, they all knew there was nothing they could do for those who had been trapped here. "I'm sorry, son. There weren't any survivors here."

"No…"

"Focus on yourself. You're lucky you got out of this in one piece. Leave tracking down those responsible to us and look after yourselves. Look after him," he said to her, correctly realising that Jaune was in some form of shock.

"I will, sir," Nora said, wrapping an arm around Jaune's shoulder and drawing him back. "Sorry for the trouble. Come on, Jaune. We need to go." She tugged him away, cringing at how wide his eyes were and how pale he looked.

"All those people. Mr and Mrs Mars…"

Nora tugged him around a corner and checked to make sure they were alone. Considering the fact an apartment had been bombed in the area, no one was around. "That was them, wasn't it?" she asked. "The people who are after you. They firebombed your apartment block to get you. Because they thought you might have gone back there to recover…"

Jaune hadn't even considered it. That much was obvious. "Yes. Probably. I… I didn't think. Christ, I never even considered it. Everyone who lived there. Because of me…?"

"Jaune. What's going on here? This is insane. People are dying!"

"No." He shook his head. "This is why you need to stay away from me. This is why you can't tell the police or Ren. She might have people in the force who would take interest. Ren is safer not knowing. Nora, please, I know it's a lot, but you need to pretend nothing is wrong."

Pretend? After all the things she'd seen. "And what about you? What if _you_ get hurt?"

"I can… I can look after myself. I have others who can help me."

"And they can't help me?" Nora asked.

"They can, but I don't want them to. To even be protected is to be a part of it. I… I don't want that for you. I want you and Ren to stay safe." His hands landed on her shoulders and he stared deep into her eyes. "Nora, I beg you. I know you want to understand, and I know I'm not helping. But if you have any trust left in me, if there's a single part of you that still considers me a friend, then let. This. Go." He looked so sad. "It's for your safety. I don't want you to be hurt like Yang was."

Yang. She'd died, hadn't she?

Because of this. Because of these people. Nora felt a chill run through her body.

"Okay."

"Okay?" He sounded desperate. "Okay?"

"Y-Yeah. Okay. I… I won't tell anyone. I'll tell Ren you saved me from a mugger. Y-You'll have to back me up on that. And I won't mention the gunshot. Just… Don't… Just be careful. You and Renny are all I have. I don't want to lose that."

"I'll be careful. I promise." He drew her in for a hug and held onto her, far longer than he really ought to have. The hug felt desperate. "I have to go now. There are people who need to know what happened here. I know it's a big ask, but whatever happens, believe that I'm going to try and stop the madness happening in the city. I'm not one of the people starting it."

"I know that," she mumbled into his chest. "You wouldn't try and bomb yourself."

"Right." He laughed. "You're right. Sorry. This is… This is crazy." He let go of her and stepped back. "I need to go. Get a new phone, keep in touch. I'll be in school on Monday. Assuming school isn't burned down by then."

"Yeah." He wasn't even trying to pretend that wasn't a possibility. "I'll see you around."

"See you."

He walked away, shoulders firm and head held high. It wasn't a look she was used to seeing in him, not from her Jaune, always so slouched and low, like he was trying to avoid attention, Cardin's especially. Yet here he was, looking and acting like a different man. Yet still the same, in some small and important way. The differences were there, but so too were the similarities. Enough that she knew it was him.

Still, had his eyes always been that bright? Had they always shone with that much intensity?

/-/

"They bombed my apartment."

Ozpin and Ruby looked up as he entered the room, as did another woman there with white hair and – oddly enough – a black blindfold across her face, covering her eyes. She was short, nearly the same height as Ruby, but with a far more feminine figure.

"Destroyed?" Ruby asked.

"Gone. And Mr and Mrs Mars were killed…"

Ruby hissed. Ozpin sighed.

"We should have expected it," he said. "Though there's nothing we could have done. I already have hunters working shifts to watch Beacon, and we shall know if anyone suspicious approaches. For now, it would be best if you remained here. We can guard your bodies while you spend time in the Grimm world."

"We have to find her." It had been personal before. Now, it was more than that. It was necessity.

"We will," Ruby said. "And we might have help."

"Indeed. This is Weiss Schnee. You may recall her from Eastfield – and from your little `bleeding glass` incident."

Jaune sniffed the air.

"You smell of me."

"Excuse me?" The girl had a proud voice. An indignant voice.

"His domain," Ruby explained. "You smell of brine and the deep ocean. Makes sense, seeing how your soul has been squatting in it for the past week or so."

"You are the sea serpent?" The blindfolded girl turned in his direction. "I owe you my thanks, then. The Lord of the Skies, if that's his real name, hasn't been confident enough to dive into the water after me. Though I feel that might change soon. He's been circling above for the last two days, and you've been swimming away. It's made him more confident."

Irrational – almost inhuman – anger surged through him. "He can try," he snarled, before catching himself and shaking his head. "Ugh. Sorry. I've not had the best day."

"Understandable. It doesn't bother me. I'll lay my cards on the table. My soul is in danger and I'd like it not to be. Ozpin said you killed a Grimm who was hunting you before. I want to know how to do that. I want to do the same."

"It was luck," Jaune said.

"He had help," Ruby said at the same time.

"Then I would like to formally ask for your help in doing the same."

They didn't have the time. It felt horrible to say it, but with the city on fire and Cinder out there, a distraction like this could take valuable time away. He was about to explain that as best he could when Ozpin interrupted.

"You've not had much luck finding Cinder by the coast from what Ruby tells me, and I think we both know why that is. The ocean would not be a good climate for a fire-dwelling Grimm. Cinder is more likely inland." He gestured to Weiss. "With the assistance of someone who can cover vast distances through the air, you might be able to find her far sooner."

Ruby and he exchanged glances.

"I, of course, would be more than willing to help you if you helped me," Weiss said. "A set of eyes in the air would make your task much easier."

Ruby nudged him. "She isn't wrong. And if the Grimm she takes over is as strong as Leviathan was, we'd have a real edge against Cinder. If you took to your human form, you could ride on her and I can float beside. We could cover a lot more ground and see for miles."

It would be better than interrogating Grimm along the coast hoping one knew where Cinder was. A lot better. If they were lucky, Blake and Adam might even be willing to help.

"Fine. Let's talk."

* * *

 **Cooking more food for my puppy now. Just trying to keep her weight up and hoping whatever bug it is will go away. Vets can't find anything wrong but have prescribed some probiotic paste I have to force onto her tongue every day. Great fun.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 5** **th** **May**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	31. Chapter 31

**Here we go…**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 31**

* * *

Ozpin closed the door of his office and motioned for them all to take a seat. Jaune and Ruby sat before the desk while Weiss felt her way along the wall behind it, sitting on a chair that had been drawn up to the back of the desk. It was telling, not because she'd chosen it – she hadn't, being blindfolded – but because it was there in the first place, and the desk itself was covered with books, diaries and cups of coffee. Ozpin had been busy, and with someone sat beside him.

"We can talk more privately here," Ozpin said, taking his own seat by Weiss without a hint of awkwardness. "While those downstairs recognise you both, few know the truth. I'd prefer to keep it that way."

"Does anyone?" Jaune asked.

"Velvet does. I've been training her to take over Beacon when I grow too old and it's important for her to know as much as she can. And Weiss, of course, who I've been teaching to take over the hunters once I retire."

Ruby glanced up. "You're retiring?"

"Everyone retires eventually." The morbid answer left nothing to the imagination. "Until then, I'll continue to do what I can to protect Vale and the people of our world, but I have to think to the future. Keeping Beacon open and the hunters running provides a safe haven and an easier introduction for freshly Awakened."

"You're splitting them up, though?" Ruby asked. "Adding redundancy?"

"More for the effort than anything. Running both has been trying for me and I'm sure Weiss would appreciate having more time to research the Grimm and try to find a way to end this ordeal. Velvet and Oscar are more than good enough to run the Beacon on their own. Though I'll admit, the thought of a little more redundancy did cross my mind. There are times in the last twenty years where I wished to go out there and fight the Grimm myself, but dared not. Not out of fear for my life, but fear of what might happen to all those left behind if I fell."

"I'd be dead for one," Jaune said. "And I assume Ruby and Yang wouldn't have had anywhere to go."

"Nor Velvet, Oscar, Weiss or a hundred other people," Ozpin confirmed. "The needs of the many outweigh those of the few and I have ever served better being chained here. I'd like to free Weiss up from that responsibility. The benefit of hindsight and all."

"You mentioned research…"

"Yes. Of course. I've not sat on my laurels for the last few decades. My first ten years after Awakening were spent in turmoil. I focused on my own survival and a desperate attempt to maintain my life – which soon proved impossible. It wasn't until later that I founded Beacon and the hunters, and by then I had managed to achieve some level of stability. That gave me time to think, to plan and to realise that the world is bigger than me. I began to look into the Grimm presence in our world, the boundary between worlds and anything I could find on the matter."

"You're looking for a way to close the gap?"

"Ideally, yes, though it's not as though we've had much luck on that front. Inter-dimensional travel is something not explored outside of science-fiction and I find myself lacking a black hole generator." Ozpin laughed. "Not that I think that would help."

"Having the next Ozpin be part-Grimm would be helpful," Ruby said.

"Indeed. I won't lie and say that thought didn't cross my mind. Weiss would be stronger, safer and able to pass into the Grimm realm in her sleep. Being able to conduct experiments in both worlds might be what we need to close the boundary once and for all."

And in so doing, protect everyone. His family and friends included. "We'll help," he said, looking to Ruby. She nodded back. "We would have helped from the start, but we just wanted to know more of what we were working with."

"Understandable. I'm afraid this is where my expertise ends, however. Slaying the Grimm in their world, especially the larger varieties. It is not something I have any experience in." Ozpin was human. He'd thought the man might not be once or twice, but there was no mistaking his smell. Also, his eyes didn't glow like Ruby's and his did. "Weiss and I will bow to your expertise on this, and I suppose I should leave the three of you to it." He stood with a stiff creak of bone. "Please feel free to make use of anything you wish here. There is an adjoining bathroom should Mr Arc wish to submerge himself in his element."

Ozpin let himself out the office and closed the door, leaving the three of them behind. Weiss sat stiffly with her hands in her lap and the black cloth still wrapped firmly around her eyes. She was surprisingly calm for someone in her situation, though that might have been intentional on her part.

"Is the blindfold to stop your Grimm going crazy?" he asked.

"It was Ozpin's suggestion." Her voice was light and airy. "It hasn't been appearing in mirrors as much anymore but we don't want to take any risks."

"Mirrors?"

"It's a flying monster but it always appeared in reflective surfaces to me," she said. "I could see it hazily in windows or pools of water, but it was indistinct. If I saw a mirror, though, it could look right at me, make facial expressions and even talk. I could never heard the words but the mouth would move."

"It had a mouth?"

"It would be my reflection, moving independently."

That sounded terrifying to be honest. He was probably lucky to have just gotten the headaches and the constant dripping. He wasn't sure he could have avoided suspicion if every mirror or pane of glass was a landmine.

"What do you think, Ruby? Is air her Domain or mirrors?"

"Mirrors don't exist naturally; they're manufactured. Reflective surfaces do, but that doesn't make sense for where the creature is. The ocean is too thick and turbulent to see your reflection in. It wouldn't make sense for glass to be her domain unless you went abstract. Maybe find a beach connected to a volcano." Ruby's expression made it clear how unlikely that would be. "The glass aspect might be something more."

"Like?"

"I don't know. Something related to the Grimm, but not mirrors."

"Should Weiss sleep in a room full of them, then?"

"Maybe…"

"The closest would be the bathroom," Weiss said. "You could collect mirrors from the other rooms and I could sleep on the floor. If the two of you are nearby that might even be better. If I fail, you can…" She trailed off.

"If we fail, we'll deal with it." Ruby said.

Kill the Grimm that had taken over Weiss' body, and her with it.

"How are we doing this?" he asked. "I had to kill Leviathan myself to take over its body – kind of like a reverse of how the Grimm kill us. Does that mean Weiss has to be the one to score the final blow on the Lord of the Skies? What happens if I kill it?"

"Then it dies. And that is it." Ruby said. "Just like if a human kills a human."

"Either approach is good for me, but Ozpin believes the hunters – and you – could benefit from me having the Grimm's powers," Weiss said. "I can't very much help you find the one you're looking for without them. That said, I'm also not sure how to kill the creature myself…"

"Jaune had powers begin to manifest. Have you had any?"

"None." Weiss shook her head. "Or if I have, I haven't noticed them. I can't control the wind, wind pressure or change the temperature of a room."

"I got to do it through exposure," he said. "What sound do you hear?"

"A constant dripping."

Jaune and Ruby exchanges glances. "That's yours," Ruby said.

"Yeah." Jaune grimaced. "I guess by removing Weiss from the other Grimm's Domain, she's become less exposed to it. She's closer to being able to use _my_ powers than its." There was no telling if that meant he would be weakened or not. No way to test it either, other than to drown Weiss and see if she died. The `medieval witch` approach probably wasn't the best idea.

"She doesn't have to kill with powers," Ruby said. "You didn't. You controlled the water to thrust the rock down, but it was _rock_ you killed Leviathan with. If we can just bring the Lord of the Skies to within a fraction of death, Weiss can just stab it in the eye with a stone or something."

The problem was grounding it first. It was a flying creature while he was a sea serpent and Ruby – while flying – couldn't carry anyone with her without affecting them with her powers. "If Weiss is going to be able to kill this thing, she needs to be able to reach it. Short of flying, I don't see how she'll-"

"I can fly," Weiss said.

"What?"

"I can fly. In the dream…" Weiss sounded off, almost embarrassed. "I… I forgot to mention that. And now that I think about it, that's a fairly obvious idea of a `power`. Isn't it?"

Ruby giggled. "Kind of."

"Sorry." Weiss coughed into her fist. "I honestly forgot all about it. Flying in a dream… that never seems unusual. I never even realised I was doing it at the time. Too worried about escaping the monster chasing me."

"It's a start. If Weiss and I can fly, we can affect it. The problem is that Jaune can't – and Weiss can't breathe underwater, so dragging it down _into_ the water isn't going to work either." Ruby sighed. "I think the best thing we can do is just go into the other world."

Weiss grimaced.

"Don't worry. We'll be with you."

"Then I shall place my soul in your hands."

/-/

Weiss was proud of her calm demeanour. Her family had always said how important it was to be calm in the face of danger, to remain steady and focused because people would turn to a Schnee for guidance, and they would draw from her strength. When she'd been younger, she had always admired her mother and father for that, thinking them the strongest people in the world. When her mother died ad her father remained unbowed, however, she'd realised it wasn't strength at all, but apathy.

It had never been strength. At best, you pretended you didn't feel fear. You adapted to it, swallowed it, ignored it. That was the same wherever you went, from the military training people to operate _despite_ their fear, or a public speaker being able to ignore the crowd and pretend they weren't talking to however many people. The fear itself never went away. You just learned to adapt to it.

When it came to watching a huge sea serpent cut its way through the water toward her, its silvery mass like a collection of islands above the water and its eyes shining like giant yellow torches, Weiss relied on cynicism to keep herself from having a heart attack and voiding her bowels. If Jaune wished her dead, he would kill her and there was nothing she could do about it. Oddly enough, the morbid thoughts kept her treading water and not sobbing fitfully as its giant head raised out of the ocean, glaring inhumanly down on her. When its maw opened, she was greeted to what looked like a thousand rows of teeth leading back into its throat.

"Weiss," it boomed. Voice inhuman and deep.

"Jaune," she replied, keeping her shoulders above the waves. "I guess eye contact only causes problems if it's in the other world."

He nodded. The human action from the inhuman monster helped more than she thought it would. "I was able to hide from Leviathan for a while. They can see through our eyes in our world, but not our eyes in this one. Ruby should be arriving soon. Don't touch her. Her power isn't one she can control and it might harm you. Also, she may appear… disturbing. Please don't be afraid of her."

 _Says the thousand-metre long sea demon with a million teeth_.

"I'll do my best."

Being the first time she'd been in this world willingly and with company, Weiss took a second to look at it properly, and not in the sense of running for her life. It was remarkably earth-like for being another world, something that didn't really makes sense with the Grimm. They ate and hunted for souls instead of meat or plants, so it was incongruous to see a world that seemed designed to harbour natural life be their home. The sky was blue instead of some bizarre mix of magenta and green, and the ocean was salty. It could, at first glance, have been mistaken for Earth. Apart for the giant sea monster.

The sky was cloudy today – tonight? It was still day time in this world – and there was no sign of the Lord of the Skies. The cloud cover would have kept it safe though, and she could feel its attention on her. Or she imagined it.

"Is Blake still alive in this world?" she asked.

"Her Domain is nearby. She lives there with her mate. Why?"

"I was curious." Weiss let it lay there for a while, then said, "She helped me. Not for my benefit I'm sure, but she was the first to reach out and explain anything to me. Do you think she would help me here?"

"I wouldn't want to risk it. Last time I talked to her, she suggested me bringing coma victims here for her to kill and possess." His gargantuan eyes fixed on her. "Ruby and I already have human bodies so there's no risk from us, but I wouldn't put it past Blake to `accidentally` kill you."

"Ah." That was troubling, but only if she thought of Blake as human. Different species, different rules. Blake had no reason to be loyal or friendly to her. "I suppose it's best not to take any risks. What is it like, being part Grimm?"

"Curious?"

"I may become like you myself. I'd appreciate any advice you have."

The giant head bobbed up and down. "It's… different and yet the same. You don't feel changed in your human body but there are subtle changes. Your sense of smell is a lot better and you can smell Grimm easily. The noise in the back of your head disappears-"

"Thank Christ. This leaky faucet is killing me."

A deep rumbling sound like ten rocks in a blender assailed her ears. It took her a second to realise it was his version of a laugh. "If I could turn it off, I would. It was annoying to me as well. Other than that, most of the changes happen when you fall asleep and come back here. I can… feel my Domain for lack of a better term. I could tell when you were swimming around and where, like an itch in the back of my head, or like you were a fly caught in my web. I could ignore it, but only be trying. A lot of times it was like an uncomfortable tickling sensation I wanted to scratch."

"Other than that, there's not much," he finished. "No enhanced senses or endurance, no Grimm thoughts. Your mind isn't changed and you don't start to crave human souls. I've never even felt hungry as a Grimm and certainly not for human flesh."

"Perhaps eating in our world sustains your Grimm form."

"Maybe. It's all soul-based and the soul doesn't get hungry. At least I think it doesn't. No one really knows."

"Then it will be my job to research and discover the truth," Weiss decided. Understanding how souls interacted and how the Grimm benefitted from the eating of them seemed a good first step, and with her becoming a Grimm – all going well – she would have an unprecedented opportunity to find out how that worked.

"So…" the serpent lowered its head. "Taking over from Ozpin. Nervous?"

"Honestly, no. I'm excited."

"Really?"

"My situation in the real world isn't idea," she said. He didn't need to know the particulars and she left it there. "It was even less ideal being hunted by the Grimm, but now that I know the truth I am prepared to do what needs to be done. After months of not having that, having a direction and a goal now is liberating."

"What about your family?"

"What about them?" she snapped.

"N-Nothing. I'm just… Mine are in danger from Cinder. I was wondering if yours were the same."

He hadn't meant it that way, then. Weiss tempered her anger and answered, the apology implicit in the doing so. "My family don't currently expect much of me. As long as I am quiet and stay out of the way, I expect they will be happy to keep me out the public eye. If I suddenly take an interest in occult research, that will certainly do just that." The conservative elements her father courted weren't exactly a fan of such things, especially the Evangelicals. "If needs be, I'll simply come and live here myself once I'm of age. Ozpin has already offered to leave half of Beacon to me and the other half to Velvet, to allow us both to support ourselves."

"That's good of him."

"It's an investment in the future. Nothing more."

In a way, Weiss felt bad for Ozpin. The man had obviously been through so much more than she had, and to know that it would be all for naught – that he could not in his lifetime stop this incursion – must have been painful. If by making plans for the next generation to take over for him he might feel better, then she would assist however she could.

The distant tolling of a bell caught Weiss' ears, and those of Jaune as his head rose up into the air and coiled back on itself, peering off towards what she thought was the west. Her feet were beginning to feel tired from treading water so she pushed up and out, attempting to fly. To her surprise, she floated a few inches over the water without difficulty. It really was a superpower. Strange how she didn't feel `free` as many who longed for flight might. Probably because of the monster hiding above in the clouds.

"That's Ruby," Jaune said. "The bell sound."

Ruby, it turned out, was a spectral and tattered cloak – or she was an invisible figure made of air which wore the cloak. Weiss couldn't tell which. While creepy, nothing about her was intimidating or frightening, which went to show just how little Jaune realised his own form was.

"Weiss," the cloak greeted, in a voice that sounded oddly like a hundred tiny bells ringing in concert.

"Weiss was asking if we should talk to Blake about this," Jaune reported.

"No." The cloak swayed from left to right. "She would try and take Weiss' soul."

A little dispiriting to hear both of them say that so quickly, but Weiss accepted it. "Is that a danger I'll have to be aware of from other Grimm? Should I worry for an ambush?"

"Not in the water or the skies above it. Jaune will feel any who try and enter the water and I doubt the Lord of the Skies will allow anyone into his Domain when they might steal your soul away from him. Or her. Souls of the Awakened are too rare to risk losing. That's why it's so odd that Cinder has managed to gather so many."

"You suspect foul play?"

"Obviously. She had access to hundreds of young children through the school system for over fifteen years – and the younger generations are the quickest to Awaken."

Disturbing thought. Eastfield may have not been the first place she haunted, and it was possible the woman known as Cinder had been shepherding people into her Domain for over a decade. It certainly spoke of a high level of preparation, but it was also intelligent on her part. If the only risk she faced in the real world was the loss of her human body, then using her time there to amass more was her way of reducing the risk. Had Blake done the same, she might have spares to fall back on. _Then again, she is also smaller from what they've told me. Perhaps it's only something these `Greater Grimm` are capable of._

"So," she asked. "What do we do now?"

"The only thing we can do," Ruby said.

They were both looking directly at her.

/-/

Jaune crept down under the waves as Weiss rose up into the sky. She kept glancing down at them hesitantly, as if afraid they would disappear and leave her. There was little he could do to assure her otherwise since he would need to dip deep down into the ocean, out of sight.

"There's something more to this Grimm than she knows," Ruby said.

"What?" He turned to her. "Then why didn't you say so?"

"More than I know as well. Her story doesn't fit. In her words, there was a barrier over the water that prevented her from escaping one Domain into another. That's not natural. You noticed it as well. Didn't you?"

He had, when he'd been hunted by Leviathan and he'd thought to escape by climbing out the water. It had been like pressing his hand to a pane of glass. To a mirror. Just like the mirrors Weiss mentioned.

"You think her Grimm was behind that?"

"You've not proven capable of making barriers with your mind, so I doubt it was Leviathan."#

"But it was keeping me trapped in the water."

"A coincidence. It's real target was her." Ruby's hood tilted back as she presumably looked up to Weiss. The girl had reached the cloud layer but seemed reluctant to break through it, and for good reason. Once she was up there, she would be out of sight. "That must be why it was so angry when it saw you the first time. You lured Leviathan up to the surface and it broke through the mirror."

"That's why there was blood in the water…"

It hadn't been a territorial battle – the two had been neighbours for long before he and Weiss arrived. It was retribution on Leviathan for damaging the mirror-barrier and risking Weiss' escape. The bleeding glass had been a reflection of that, the shattering of the barrier which had, by the looks of things, caused some wounds to the Lord of the Skies. Or that had been Leviathan's blood. There was no way to tell now.

"What does that mean? That it'll make another barrier over the water and trap her again?"

"It might try."

"Leviathan broke the last one."

"It might be made stronger. There's no way to tell."

Damn it. "Can you stay above while I go below?"

"No." Ruby's cloak swayed left to right. "It can sense us in its Domain as easily as you could her. It's probably waiting and watching, seeing if we're going to stick around. Considering how it was hurt the last time, I doubt it's going to come down from the clouds while either of us are here."

Jaune snorted some water from his giant nostrils in answer, then willed the water around him to drag him down. His mass sunk beneath the waves, drawn down and down until the light above became less and less visible. Not entirely gone as he'd need to see the silhouette of the Lord of the Skies to even know when to attack. The rest was in Weiss' hands.

/-/

The form of the sea serpent had all but disappeared into the waves. Weiss knew it could come back quickly, but she felt alone again, as she hadn't for what felt like so long. A familiar and haunting sound came back and played in the back of her mins.

 _Tschhh – Clink – Clink_

"You're out here somewhere," she murmured. "You know where I am. What are you waiting for?"

Flying itself was an interesting sensation. All she had to do was think and she was moving through the air. There was no flapping involved to generate lift and no wind rushing around her as propulsion. The method just didn't make sense. Neither pulled nor pushed, nor buoyed by anything. She just moved through the air like it wasn't there at all. There wasn't even any wind resistance. She moved as easily as she wanted to.

The clouds above beckoned but she didn't like them. Something about them had her on edge. Could it be that her Grimm controlled weather? Could it summon and hide in the clouds? It had only ever tried to chase her before so she had no idea of its capabilities.

Ozpin theorised that the Grimm were so aggressive because they could afford to be – because when they were in the human world they could not be killed, and that when humans were in this world, the human was often helpless. Ambush predators at heart and cowards the rest of the time. There was no real grounding to the theory – it would be her job to test and prove it – but the facts spoke for themselves. She had been on the water's surface for almost a week now and it never dared come near to pluck her out, even when the Leviathan was nowhere to be seen.

 _With that in mind, it's not going to show itself as long as I'm anywhere near the water. Damn it._

Sweeping upward, Weiss breached the nearest cloud and picked up her pace, wanting to get out before it could appear. Plenty of distance and a good line of sight would be her only defence. The cloud didn't really _feel_ of anything. Fog maybe, or light mist. She pushed through it and above, into a world that was filled with blue as far as the eye could see and, to her frustration, there was a second layer of clouds further above, a good few hundred metres away.

The rules that governed their world didn't have to apply, she reminded herself. If anything, it was a relief to see some concrete proof of that. Other than the fact it had _never_ been dark since she arrived. Always daytime. A flat planet? The thought amused her. It might just as easily be multiple suns, or a sun that was so powerful the reflections of its light on the moon shone like a second sun.

Reflections…

 _Tschhh – Clink – Clink_

Something tickled at the back of her mind and she glanced down – suddenly aware of a thin sheen of shimmering light over the top of the clouds she'd just burst through. Cursing, Weiss ducked down to touch it and _landed_ on the clouds. They'd become solid. Or rather, there was a mirror that had been placed over the clouds, creating a solid floor.

Or a cage.

"No!" Weiss both felt and heard the sound of movement above and in the distance. Her eyes were torn to the clouds in the distance – the upper layer – which parted before the mighty wingbeats of a giant serpent.

The Lord of the Skies.

It was more intelligent than she'd first though. A trap. It had laid a trap, drawing her up into the upper atmosphere and then sealing its barrier below her, just like it had over the ocean before. The only reason it hadn't in the past was because it had never thought it needed to. _It must have seen Jaune and Ruby. Who am I kidding? They were in its Domain! Of course it knew they were there._

Kicking off the mirror, Weiss flew across it in the opposite direction, trailing one finger on the barrier as she went. Where she touched, golden light flared – a combination of friction and a tactile touch on the invisible surface. It was solid and flat, not adhering to the clouds at all. Like a flat mirror cutting the sky in half, trapping her and it in the upper section while Jaune and Ruby were far below.

What was she to do? Kill it? Jaune had slain his with a rock but she was literally in the middle of nowhere. Nothing but atmosphere as far as she could see in every direction. Make it crash into its own mirror? Would that even work? It must have been able to break through or even cancel out its mirrors at the last second. Something of sufficient mass could break through in the same way Jaune has as the Leviathan, but she was easily a mile up in the air right now and he wasn't going to be able to swim up that.

"No, no, no." Weiss flew as fast as she could, all too aware of its screech behind her as it gave pursuit. "There has to be a weakness. A crack. Every mirror has an edge."

Every human mirror, a manufactured mirror. There was nothing to say this applied – or that it was a mirror at all. That was just the human term she'd given it and there wasn't even a reflection to be seen in it. Reflection. Reflection… That was its Domain somehow. Not the sky. The sky was important in some way, but wasn't its home. _Think, Weiss. There has to be an answer here._

Were they in a mirror?

No, that didn't make sense. Jaune and Ruby had entered the Domain without trouble. Even if it was, it wouldn't make a difference. She'd been flying for easily five hundred metres and there was still no sign of an edge – even assuming the Lord of the Skies wasn't just _building_ it as it was going, stretching out the edge to be forever out of her reach.

"It's not air or it would choke me. It's not wind or I'd be feeling resistance. It's not telekinetic or I'd be drawn back into it. Its powers have something to do with reflection. Damn it. What does that even mean? What countered reflections?"

A cloud ahead caught her eye. Not the cloud itself, but the large patch of shadow it cast down below it. Shadow, darkness. It was a long shot but she shot for it, heart hammering in her chest as she felt it closing in behind. If this didn't work, she was dead. There was no hope. Latching onto that last bit of hope, Weiss shot toward the shadow beneath the cloud – to where the barrier would intersect it – and curled into a ball. Like a ball fired from a canon, she _slammed_ into the barrier where it was darkest.

The impact was devastating. It was still there, despite her thoughts, but it was… weaker. Fragile. Weiss gritted her teeth and slammed her fingers down, crying out as she felt them be squeezed like they'd been caught between a window slammed shut. Ignoring that, she pushed deeper and dragged her hands apart.

 _Tschhh_

There! The mirror shattered. Weiss could feel it trying to close again but she slipped through and down, tumbling through as the Lord of the Skies soared by, scoring its talons through the space she'd just occupied. Weiss didn't dare to give it a chance to form another barrier. She shot down, piercing through the clouds and approaching the ocean below – under which she could just make out a dark shape rising up towards the surface.

The Grimm behind her tore down from the cloud cover, screeching in fury as it saw its prey escape towards the water once more. Patience lost and sensing that Weiss had learned its secret, it gave chase, heedless of the danger.

"Light!" Weiss screamed as she hurtled down. "It's not air! It's light! Don't attack it!"

The water burst asunder. Like a volcano erupting, it exploded out and up with a silver shape visible at the centre, twisting as it emerged from the dark depths of the ocean.

Into the blazing sunlight.

The Lord of the Skies – the Lord of Sunlight – screeched victoriously.

* * *

 **Uh-oh. Yeah, it was a bit of a switcheroo there. Reflections, light, the way Weiss can move through air without difficulty. Why the Lord of the Skies might hate Leviathan (for while water doesn't exactly block light, it moves through it with more difficulty).**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 12** **th** **May**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	32. Chapter 32

**Time to come back for the unseen world, the unseen hunt and the finally revealed Lord of Sunlight, who I suppose may as well be called Solaire.**

" **PRAISE THE SUN!"**

 **Y-Pose**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 32**

* * *

Burning.

Jaune burned.

It came from everywhere and wrapped around his body, which hissed and sizzled in the searing heat of a midday sun that never went away. Weiss' words filtered through his mind but held no real solution. Yes, he'd figured out it was sunlight now. With his body burning up and his scales flaking and tumbling away, his insides cooking like a lobster thrown into a pot of boiling water.

An agonised roar slipped from his cavernous throat as his lunge faltered. He coiled up in an effort to protect himself and fell from the sky, gravity dragging his body back down towards the promised coolness of the deep ocean. He wanted nothing more than to sink into its depths and never return. Instead, he slammed down onto a barrier of mirrored light.

Caught like a fish.

It was going to fry him alive.

The Lord of the Skies swept through the air above him, moving not by the beat of its wings but rather streaming through the air of its own power, undulating like a long snake covered in bright feathers. No shadow was cast by its passing and the burning sun up in the sky continued to beat down on him. Something sizzled and popped and he felt a bloody tear run down his face.

How were you supposed to beat the sun? That… It didn't make sense. Not when he'd left his element to do it, hoping to snatch it out the sky and drag it down into the deep. Now here he was, caught in that same situation.

Ironic.

"Jaune!" A tiny figure blurred down towards his face. White hair and frightened blue eyes. "Get up! You have to – ahh!" Weiss darted away as the Grimm swept in for her. It passed close to his jaws and he tried desperately to reach out and bite it, but he caught only feathers. Those came off in his mouth and choked him a little, but the Grimm flew by in pursuit of its meal.

"Can you move?" Ruby asked, sweeping down close to him. Her cloak hovered above the reflective barrier he lay stranded on.

"N-Not really." He groaned. "I-I can transform…"

"Don't. Your human shape would be even less able to survive here." Ruby's cloak wafted over him a little and her touch was cooling, though the moment it passed the burning came back. "You need to get back into the water," she said. "This was a bad fight. We need to retreat and try again with the knowledge we now have."

No argument there. He felt dead. "How-? I can't get through this…"

"Sunlight. It only exists because of the light's rays bent by his concentration. Sever either of those things and you'll fall. I'll try to distract him and keep Weiss alive. This will all be for nothing if she dies."

"Wait." He grimaced. "Can't you kill it?"

"Grimm are eternal. My touch can destroy everything but them. I can weather its skin, age its body and cause it pain and distress, but I won't be able to kill it on my own. Besides, Weiss needs to be the one to strike the final blow." Ruby looked up and let out a rustling sigh. "I have to go. She's going to die."

Ruby swept up on the wind and disappeared in pursuit of the Grimm, which was spinning circles above. Weiss was obviously trying to keep it in the area, knowing that she was helpless without them.

Break its concentration or end the sunlight? The latter meant shade obviously, since none of them were going to be capable of destroying the sun. Blotting it out seemed impossible enough already. Even so, he tried to reach down below for his ocean. To his surprise, there was no impediment. The water beneath him roiled and bubbled, responding to his call.

 _Sunlight can only interact with things that are real. My control over water doesn't apply to the laws of physics. It's conceptual._ Either way, the barrier held him but not his `control of water`.

It did hold the water. He tried to bring it up and wrap around him, but the waves splashed against the bottom of the barrier – less than an inch away but somehow seeming several miles so. It was close enough to smell and taste, but he couldn't touch it.

Around? Making a barrier to cover the entire ocean would be ridiculous. He began to control the water and push it wider, searching for an edge he could wrap around. None came and he panicked, spreading his water further and further – a good hundred metres, then two, then three and four. Almost a mile his water searched, but it remained true. Had it really created a mirror across the entire Grimm world?

That… That was ridiculous.

What were they up against?

Gritting his monstrous teeth, Jaune probed further.

/-/

All her esteemed upbringing, education and personal trainers and this was where it led her. Weiss circled on the air, more confident now in her acrobatics that she knew her power was derived from light and not wind. It told her that she didn't have to obey concepts such as wind resistance or friction. She was a particle of light darting one way and the next. Never mind that light travelled in straight lines or lacked the mass she did. Maybe it was mirrors again, each change in direction a bounce. It was hard to say.

It wasn't helping her much either way. The Lord of Sunlight chased her incessantly and his mirror-like barriers kept closing in around her, cutting down the area she could move in freely. Far below, the silvery form of Leviathan glinted in the sunlight, great gouts of steam rising up from its body as it lay trapped. _So much for helping me kill this thing. It's going to end all of us._

Of course, those two would be okay – able to retreat to their human bodies. She would die and be consumed, then replaced by this monster in her body. At least, for the few minutes it would take Ozpin and the others to hold her down and slit her throat.

What an ignominious way to go.

The Grimm screeched suddenly in something akin to rage. Looking back, Weiss saw the spectral form of Ruby sliding across its flank, almost like a piece of cloth the Grimm had flown into. Where she touched, the Lord of Sunlight became ragged and torn, feathers turning brittle and falling away as skin turned black, cracked and oozed blood turned a putrid shade of red mixed with black.

Screeching, the monster turned away from her, retreating momentarily upwards. Rather than chase, Ruby swept over to her, moving on the breeze as easily as Weiss did.

"You're alive," she said, with the faint surprise one might regard a turn of weather with.

"Yes. No thanks to the plan. What do we do?"

"We retreat for now," Ruby said. "Our information was incorrect." Though she might not have meant it as such, Weiss' hackles rose.

"I told you everything I knew!"

"We should have known more. Should have waited to be certain." The cloak swayed sadly. "I was impatient. You may well die for it."

Weiss waited for the `I'm sorry` but it never came. Growling, she looked up towards the Lord of Sunlight. "There has to be some weakness to this thing."

"Normally, I would agree. It should be obvious too – night-time."

"It's never been night here as far as I can tell. Does this world even have a day-night cycle?"

"Yes." Ruby's response was immediate. "But this is its domain. It has control here. The natural order of night and day will continue elsewhere, as it does in my Domain, but it need not here if he doesn't let it."

"So what, we lure him into another Domain?"

"He would never follow. This is his world; he'll keep us here and not leave it for fear of ending up in the Domain of someone who _can_ kill him."

Weiss scowled. Then there was nothing they could do. Her soul was trapped here, and the monster wasn't going to let it go anytime soon. In fact, it was coming back, charging down toward them with its maw wide open. Weiss dodged left and Ruby right, the cloak catching one of its ornamental wings and causing it to shrivel and die. It swerved to the side in response and stuck both wings out, angling them up. The feathers stood on end and rustled in the sunlight, seeming to grow more vibrant and colourful.

Was it healing in the sunlight as well? Photosynthesis of a sort? Converting sunlight into solar energy to give itself limitless stamina? She wasn't one to swear, but this deserved it and _that_ was absolute bullshit.

 _And here I am with not a single power to my name and no way to fight back. Flight doesn't help me if there are no obstacles to make it fly into. Even if I could control the sunlight, that would just make it even stronger._

Could she make it turn to night? Weiss looked up and concentrated, _willing_ the sun to move.

It did no such thing.

Well, the sun didn't move in real life either, but who was to say the Grimm world was a rotating planet or not – or that there wasn't a sun orbiting it? Logic – at least _their_ logic – seemed to only apply when it had to. Or it operated on different rules.

"Go away." she hissed, glaring at the sun. "Set. Let it be night."

A screech was her only warning of an oncoming attack. Weiss darted below and dodged it but caught a feather to the chest and was batted back. They were far more solid than they looked, and the thing could extend them. Luckily, it either couldn't fire them off or didn't want to. Or didn't think it needed to.

The only hope was to free Jaune. He was the only one with the strength necessary to drag this thing down out of its element. In the water, it would be almost helpless. Weiss looked down and cursed at the sight of the still body sizzling away. His scales had begun to flake off, exposing raw muscle and flesh beneath that looked cracked and worn like a mud-baked floor. One of his eyes was missing, literally exploded in its socket. He was out of the fight. Even if they got him into the water, he wouldn't be able to defend her.

The Grimm paused. It stopped its pursuit and let her create distance, its attention focused off to the left. It hissed loudly, feathers rattling like spines. Weiss followed its line of sight but saw nothing. She could _hear_ something, though. A loud roaring in the distance.

"Another Grimm…?"

It wasn't. It moved quickly over the horizon and coiled towards their location, a great spout of darkness that she at first thought was just that – but soon realised it was just the shadow it created. A huge cyclone of water hurtled toward them, hurtling rain down over the areas it passed as it made its way unerringly toward them.

"Looks like he found a way through," Ruby said.

It certainly did. The twisted surged forward and the Lord of Sunlight screeched and flew up higher, far out of reach. As if a telescope were focusing on their position, the sun flickered and sharpened, heat burning down onto Weiss' skin, and onto Leviathan's especially. He wouldn't be able to reach the enemy with it, but he could reach himself. The water hurled above their heads and blocked out the sun. Only for a moment, the briefest of moments, but enough to make the reflective barrier beneath him weaker. Given his extreme mass, that was all it took for it to shatter.

Jaune splashed back down into the ocean and sank beneath the waves. It was not a graceful landing or a retreat. He simply crashed down and sank like a battleship dropped from a great height. As he did, the water began to falter and fall in on itself, great holes opening in the coverage.

"That's our cue," Ruby said, shooting downward. "Escape now! Into the water!"

She didn't have to be told twice. Weiss hurtled down after them, ignoring the furious screech from above. The barrier was reforming – she could see it – but it would take time, and the shade from the impromptu storm was still enough to make it fragile. Weiss _punched_ through it with a sound like shattering glass, then hit the water's surface. The immediate cold was a welcome relief, but the Lord of Sunlight kept coming.

It wasn't going to turn away, she realised.

It wasn't afraid of a wounded Leviathan. The only thing that had kept it from the water had sunk to lick its wounds – and unlike Jaune and Ruby, Weiss could not hold her breath forever. She was confined to the shallows. Screaming, Weiss dove and swam to the side – far less mobile now that she was in the water.

The Grimm's mighty talons scythed down into the water.

/-/

"Gah!" Jaune woke up with a lurch, then cupped his head. "Arghhh! Ahhhhh!"

He stood and stumbled back into the bathtub, thrashing around in the water and spilling it out over the side. Managing to get one hand over the side, he hauled himself out and fell to the tiles, twitching and retching. The physical wounds he'd received in the Grimm world didn't affect him – they weren't on his body – but his head.

Christ, his head.

"Jaune?" Ruby opened the door. "Weiss hasn't-"

"Arghhhh!" He gripped his head and kicked out with both feet, catching the sink with a loud sound. "My head. It's in my head!"

"Jaune!"

"I can feel it in my brain! Its claws! Its feathers." Like sharp pin pricks digging directly into his brain and being dragged over it. He retched on the floor, curling up into a ball before a spasm caught him and he straightened out again, smashing his foot against the sink as he did. The pain went ignored, drowned away by the feeling of a bird-snake monster literally eating away at his grey matter.

"It's your Domain!" Ruby snapped, gripping his shoulders. "It's not in your head."

"Arghhhhh!"

"Mr Arc!?" Ozpin shouted, bursting through the door. "What is-?"

"We weren't able to kill it," Ruby answered, holding Jaune's shoulders as he spasmed and thrashed about. "It was stronger than we expected. It injured Jaune and forced him into the deeps. It's bold enough to push through his Domain now. Hence this…"

Jaune groaned and held his head with both hands, panting in an attempt to catch his breath. He felt he should have gotten used to the pain by now, but it didn't work that way. It wasn't happening to his body or mind – but in the other world. The thing – the Lord of Sunlight – was diving in and out of the water, slamming down to try and catch something. He could feel every intrusion like a hot knife through his skull.

"Wait, it's after-?" His eyes widened. "Where's Weiss!?"

"That's what I was trying to tell you," Ruby said, helping him up onto his feet. "She didn't wake up with us. I don't think she's going to…"

"What?"

"There's nowhere for her soul to hide now that your Domain isn't safe. Before, the Grimm chasing her was willing to be patient, but that's changed now that it knows you're after it. It's taking the chance it has to hunt her on your turf. It's not like she can hold her breath and sink to the bottom like you can. She needs to come up for air."

And when she did, the Grimm would be waiting for her. Like a bird hunting fish in the ocean, it was diving in and out with its talons – or maybe using its beaked jaw to try and stab at her. The world swayed as he thought it, and if it wasn't for Ruby catching him, he would have fallen.

"I-I can barely think," he mumbled. "My head. Christ, my head…"

"This is why Grimm don't like other Grimm in their Domain. It's not so bad if they're there peacefully, but invading like this? Causing damage?" Ruby shook her head. "There's a reason Blake and Adam were agitated by my presence. I was like a needle lodged in their brain, suffusing a slow poison into their entire being."

Ugh. Jaune shuddered. It explained the obvious distress the Grimm he and Ruby approach had shown as well, and maybe even Adam's antagonism towards him. It might even have explained why the Grimm were so aggressive towards humans lost in their world, but that might just as easily have been a desire to inhabit both.

"Why do I not get bothered when you're in mine?" he asked.

"I don't know. It might be that your domain lacks any life for me to kill. There may be microscopic lifeforms there, but you don't feel their passing. Or maybe it's something to do with you being less Grimm than the rest of us."

"May- ah!" He clutched his forehead.

"It's going to make a difference here," she said. "Weiss is trapped until she dies or the Lord of Light does. As much as I hate to say it, it might be best to kill her now. It would be a mercy."

"N-No. I refuse."

"Alright." Ruby let it go easily. "I didn't say I _liked_ the idea. Just that it might be best…"

"I would prefer Miss Schnee brought back safely," Ozpin said. The old man looked anxiously at the girl laid on his couch. Despite the nightmare she was going through she didn't thrash or move in her sleep. "It is not easy finding someone to take over after me and I did promise to help her. I would like to expend every possibility before I condone making such a sacrifice."

"Same," Jaune grunted. "I promised to help."

"You won't be of much help," Ruby told him. "Your body – your Grimm form – needs time to heal. The water will do that, but it won't be immediate. If you try and face it now, you'll die."

"How long?"

"It would take days to fully heal."

"Weiss doesn't have days." He could feel it thrashing in the waters of his mind. It hunted her still. "She doesn't have one day. How much can I get from a few hours?"

"Not enough. You're crippled, Jaune. You lost an eye, not to mention all the other injuries."

"Couldn't you speed up my recovery?"

"If I could control my powers that well, I wouldn't have to be alone. Would I? I'm more likely to age you by a thousand years. You'd be healed of _these_ injuries, sure, but you'd need just as long, if not longer, to recover from what I'd do to you."

Jaune stood there helplessly.

"Ozpin, we need some food. Being well-fed will help a little. Not enough to get him back in fighting shape, but… maybe enough to do something."

"Yes. And Weiss?" Ozpin looked to the girl on the couch.

"Someone should keep watch over her. In case she wakes." Ruby's eyes drifted shut. "If she does… they should be prepared to kill her immediately."

"Is there not a chance she could win as Jaune did?"

"None. Jaune had the benefit of the water all around him and rocks he could shape with that water into a weapon. Weiss' battlefield is an empty sky. Unfair as it is to say it, she doesn't really stand a chance of beating the Lord of Light. Not without us…"

/-/

Jaune stood outside the Beacon looking out over the still reservoir toward the lighthouse that shone in the centre, invisible to all the normal folk going about their daily lives. They were ignorant of the horrors of the unseen world, even as they were ignorant of the fact that one of their own was currently fighting for her life within it. He could feel Weiss still struggling near the surface of his Domain. Could feel every lunge by the Lord of Light like nails through his skull.

Eating had been difficult. He'd managed a few bites before the headaches became too powerful to ignore. Ruby suggested drink – the adage of knocking oneself out to avoid the pain. He'd refused, knowing that what she was really suggesting was that he accept his inability to help Weiss.

They'd promised to help her defeat her Grimm, yet here they were safe and sound while she risked her life. They'd even had time for a meal and some drinks.

"Fuck sake…"

It wasn't Ruby's fault. Wasn't anyone's really. They'd gone in with the incorrect information and paid for it when the Lord of Light launched his trap. Falling hook, line and sinker for it, he'd been taken out of the fight before it could even begin. _It's my fault if anyone's. I'm the heavy hitter. I was the one who was supposed to be careful. If I'd used my water to test before leaping in myself, I might have noticed something was wrong._

Should have. Would have. Could have.

Hindsight was always twenty-twenty.

The door to the Beacon opened and closed. He knew it wasn't Ruby because he couldn't smell her. He had to turn instead to see who it was. Ozpin this time. In a way, he was grateful for that. "How is she?" Jaune asked.

"Still no sign of her waking. That may be a good thing."

"In the short term. She isn't going to be able to avoid it forever."

The two of them fell into an uncomfortable silence. The sounds of passers-by enjoying their lives - shopping, chatting and jogging along – their only company. That and the distant sound of water slapping against the flood barriers.

"If I thought it would help, I'd mention that Weiss knew the risks," Ozpin said.

"It doesn't help."

"I know. Instead, I'll say that Miss Rose filled me in on what happened. The particulars of the fight. Light is something all too often tied to concepts of good and virtue, but that is perhaps a naïve understanding. The sun can burn just as easily."

"Good and evil don't matter to the Grimm. It's all instinct."

"That is an advantage we have over them, I believe. Grimm can reason – that much we've seen from both Ruby and Cinder. But they often choose not to, especially when a more direct approach can yield results. They are animals at heart, as are we all, but they seem to rely more on instinct than we do."

Jaune spared the man a glance, wondering what he was leading up to. Ozpin seemed the type to wax lyrical and include a lesson in there somewhere, but Jaune doubted he would do it when Weiss' life was in danger. At the end of the day it was easy to assume Ozpin had the answer to everything, but he didn't. He was just as lost here as Jaune was. In that regard they were equals – so Jaune chose to treat him as one.

"You have a plan?"

"I have an idea," Ozpin said. "One I am not sure could ever work, but which _you_ might be able to put to use."

"I'll give it my best shot." He turned to face the man. "What is it?"

"Do you know how a hurricane is formed?"

A hurricane? Jaune wracked his mind but it was already being wracked by someone else. "I don't remember. Isn't it water evaporating into clouds, then clouds travel – circles somewhere. Heat. Then it rains?"

"Close. That's more for rain in general, though, and a simplified classroom example. Are you aware of how air rushes in to fill a vacuum?" Ozpin waited for Jaune's nod. "It's a similar thing here. Tropical storms and hurricanes are usually found in warm areas where the hot air evaporates and takes on moisture from the ocean. This rises, as hot air does, creating an absence of air below that is naturally filled by fresh air, which then becomes warm and moist and rises again. The cycle continues."

"Cycle…" Jaune mumbled. "So the air keeps rising and more keeps rising and that forms a circular motion? The same kind of thing you see on satellite images?"

"Exactly. The imbalance in air pressures causes the cycle to perpetuate. It spins faster and faster, and the difference between a storm and a hurricane is essentially the speed of the winds itself. Human definitions for human terms, as Miss Rose puts it.

A bubble of excitement wormed its way up inside him. "A storm that would block out the sun. But… would it work?"

"As I understand it, this Grimm's ability is not to control air or wind. It would be helpless to prevent your actions and might not even sense them until it is too late. Miss Rose described clouds in the vicinity, so weather patterns hold true. As for heat? Well, you have a certain Grimm providing more than enough of that."

The ingredients were there already. Water, air and near-tropical temperatures. It was already hot enough to bake his skin, so water would evaporate easily if he could goad the Lord of Light into keeping the temperatures high.

"More than anything, this might be something _you_ can do alone," Ozpin said. "And while injured."

"Ruby would freak…" he pointed out.

"Then perhaps you and I should neglect to mention the idea to her. It is an experiment. Nothing more. If the Grimm wish to rely on instinct, we shall rely on that which we have cultivated; science. The understanding of the way things work is one advantage no Grimm will have access to."

"Right." Jaune looked out over the Quabbin Reservoir, then back to Ozpin. "Tell Ruby my headache was too much and I'm laying down. Whatever happens, don't let her wake me up."

Ozpin nodded. "Good luck, Mr Arc. Bring her back if you can."

/-/

Weiss splashed down into the water again, batted out the air by a late dodge that had the Grimm's body clip hers. She struck the surface like a missile and her back bore the brunt of it. The sun's rays beat down through the water's surface and she could just make out against it the shape of the beast flying down once more for her.

Swimming was slow and lethargic. Jaune and Ruby were nowhere to be seen – they'd left her – and she couldn't escape this world now. _Only myself to blame. I convinced them it was a wind-based Grimm._

Her fault or not, angry tears stung at her eyes.

If she died here, her family would continue to think she was insane. They'd say she took her own life; that she was troubled and touched in the head. They'd forget all about who she'd really been and instead only remember someone who wasn't quite right. Even her sister would only remember this side of her.

Mighty talons tore down through the water toward her. Weiss only just managed to twist her body to the side so that they nicked her side. There was no blood, but she _felt_ the pain tear through her body, maybe even her soul. Had she been capable of bleeding, she would have been covered in cuts and blood by now. There was just no avoiding it. Gone was the patient hunter – in its place, a ferocious and wild beast.

When the Grimm pulled up, Weiss held onto its talon, only letting go when she was dragged up out of the water. She hacked and coughed, catching its attention and earning a screech. It was this or drown, though. For what felt like the thousandth time, Weiss shot through the air, trying to elude it again. Nothing slowed it. Not exhaustion, not the clouds in the sky or even the water itself. If only there were an island or something to hide behind.

Some spray from the ocean caught her face and she swiped it away. Then another struck her from the side, whipping across her face. It trickled into her mouth and she swallowed without thinking.

Sweet. The water was fresh.

But shouldn't it be salty?

Her hair whipped in front of her face as she looked around, realising finally that the wind had picked up. The spray hadn't been spray at all but rain, and it had been kicked up so suddenly that she hadn't noticed its coming. Combined with the sudden wind, the rain was coming diagonally, cutting across her vision. The waves rolled and lashed out angrily, not at all like the calm ones that had come before. The sea looked darker as well, though that might have had something to do with the heavy rain clouds above.

The Lord of Light screeched in fury, coiling in on itself in the sudden squall and lashing out in every direction, almost like it was trying to _force_ the storm into submission. This wasn't part of its plan. The weather wasn't its doing.

A crack of thunder rent the air, followed by a long rumble and a flash of light from above that lit the world. Both Weiss and the Grimm hovered in the air unburdened by the fearsome winds but the same could not be said for the ocean, which was being whipped up in every direction, or the clouds themselves which swirled in the sky to form a thick, swirling mass of black above them.

Enough so to blot out the sun.

* * *

 **Mankind's ultimate advantage; science.**

 **Or, you know, more nature, but the ability to understand it** _ **thanks**_ **to science. However you want to call it in this case. For some reason this chapter was a bit of a bitch to write. I'm not sure if it was "Lord of Light" wanting to be written every time the Grimm came up – enough so that I just started to call it "The Grimm" to avoid having to write LoL every single time. Ah well, it worked out in the end.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 19** **th** **May**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	33. Chapter 33

**Think I made a mistake in last chapter or the one before where I used "scroll" instead of phone. Argh. I spent SO LONG correcting "phone" into "scroll" for RWBY fanfiction, then the one time I write a piece set in our world, I get it the wrong way around.**

 **Damn youuu!**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 33**

* * *

Spray splashed against Weiss' face as she found herself in the midst of a hurricane. The choppy water below roiled and boiled while the rain scythed against her body, coming almost sideways. Thunder and lightning rent the sky, covering them in brief flashes of white light that were soon plunged once more into darkness. The distant sound of a high-pitched screech echoed over the top of the rolling thunder as a winged shape hurtled down toward her.

It was still coming. Even given the diminished sunlight.

Light couldn't be removed entirely – even in the dark of night, you would have sunlight reflected from the moon – but to her eyes the Lord of Light appeared diminished. His plumage, so vibrant and colourful, now came in drab shades of dark-red, mud-brown and faded green. Its flight was ungainly, wobbly, and although the howling wind might have had something to do with that, she doubted it. It caused her hair to flap and fly about but Weiss had no trouble flying through it. No wind resistance.

That it still pursued her despite the weakness was telling. It considered this worth the risk; unusual given how it never had before when she'd been hiding in the ocean. Back then, it had been content to wait, but now that she'd sought help, it saw the writing on the wall. Even after causing this storm, and she had to assume it was him behind this, the Grimm knew that the Leviathan would be unable to help physically. Wounded and badly injured, Jaune would be controlling this from the bottom of the ocean. To do anything more would be asking for death.

 _My powers are based on the same sunlight as his, though. As much as this makes him weaker, it doesn't help me._

If they'd thought of this in advance, Leviathan could have dominated the battle from the start, but it didn't afford her any opportunities. She still couldn't find safety in the water – even less now that the current was strong enough to drag her under – and there was nothing she could use as a weapon.

As if in answer to those thoughts, several logs were torn up from the ocean and hurled into the air. They were caught by the powerful winds and whisked across the battlefield toward them. Weiss was able to slip below one but the Lord of Light, being so much bigger, had difficulty. One clipped its side and sent it tumbling down. It was able to right itself before it struck the water, but its flight was clumsy. It screeched down at the water.

Debris from land? Whatever it was, there was more. Logs, twigs and small rocks were all drawn to the surface and carried up into the air, swirling around and crashing into them. So small and agile, Weiss was able to work her way through them. The Grimm had far more trouble. Feathers fell from its form as the debris struck it. What it could catch in its maw and crush, it did, but there was just too many.

Weiss swept down close to the water and the Grimm followed. So close, the debris had far less distance to travel. There were barely a few seconds warning between the water rupturing and something being tossed up. Those seconds were hers to try and dodge with, twisting aide or ducking under something with her hands skimming the water. It was like one of those arcade games she hadn't played but had seen – one where a player had to dodge an ever-increasing number of objects rushing at them in a world where those objects came faster and fast the longer you survived.

 _I can't keep this up._ Teeth gritted, she barely managed to dodge the limb of a fallen tree, and even it grazed her arm, knocking her off balance. It practically _exploded_ against the head of the Grimm behind her, but where her smaller frame let her dodge faster, its giant bulk made it resilient. Even the smallest knock was enough to slow her down.

Her knee hit the water on another pass. The sudden shift in momentum dragged her foot under and made her crash down into the water. "Gah!" she gasped, breaking the surface and drawing deeply of the air. "D-Damn it."

The Grimm had soared by above, unprepared for her sudden downward trajectory, but it wheeled and turned around ahead, coming around for another pass; this time to pluck her out of the water. Cursing, Weiss tried to drag herself out, only to flounder as a new wave reared up and crashed down on her, forcing her several feet underwater. Beneath the waves, it was as much turmoil as it was above, a swirling maelstrom of dust and debris that blocked her vision.

Talons raked through the water looking for her. They passed close by her face and were gone a second later. A large branch that looked to come from some tropical tree hit her a second later, driving the air from her lungs but also, thankfully, dragging her up to the surface once more.

"Uwah!" Weiss gasped and slumped on the log, which bobbed up and down on the water. "Ugh."

 _Move,_ she told herself angrily. _Get up. Fly. Move._ The Grimm swung around one last time, soaring above until it saw her and then coming in low to skim across the top of the ocean, talons extended. _No one is going to help me but me. Move!_

The Grimm's wings skimmed the water. It soared in, its maw open wide and its eyes fixing on her.

Something. There had to be something. If she let this end now, she was dead. Dead. No chance of living her life, doing all the things she wanted or finding out the reason behind the Grimm. No chance of stopping the Grimm incursion. Weiss clenched her eyes shut and trembled violently.

No doubt her father would use this as proof of her insanity.

Weiss' eyes snapped open.

"I'm not crazy!"

Lurching up, Weiss fell down hard on one end of the log, unbalancing it and causing that end to sink down into the water. The other end came up. It wasn't sharp or honed to a point, but the Lord of Light hit it full speed. With a mighty screech and an explosion of feathers and blood, the makeshift lance snapped under her. Weiss was hurled further into the surf in a shower of splinters and blood.

The Grimm flew a little further before it crashed and toppled down into the water, a large wooden spike driven into its breastbone, just below the neck. It thrashed in the water and was able to drag the spike out after a few panicked moments, spilling yet more blood into the ocean. It turned misty in the water, spreading out in a pool originating from the wounded creature.

 _Drip – Drip_

That sound. Weiss froze as she felt something _stir_ in the water beneath her. Bright, torch-like beams spanning up from beneath the Lord of Light as it fought to drag itself out the ocean. Blood in the water. And as the saying went, that attracted predators.

 _Drip – Drip_

 _Drip – Drip_

 _Drip…_

 _Splash_

Leviathan _tore_ up out of the ocean with a mighty bellowing roar louder than any thunder, and an explosion of water that sent Weiss flying. He came up under the Lord of Light and sealed his jaws upon its flank, carrying it up out of the water and a good fifty metres into the air.

The two of them hung in the air for a moment as gravity exerted its hold. Leviathan was _riddled_ with wounds and bleeding profusely; entire scales having been torn off. The Lord of Light was in better shape but that changes as Leviathan thrashed its long neck from side to side, spilling feathers, blood and gristle as the avian Grimm was wrenched about. It latched its own talons into the bottom of Leviathan's jaw. Scales cracked and gave way under it, talons digging deep and drawing blood even as its own head lashed out, biting and scraping the inside of Leviathan's huge jaw.

As they reached the height of their thrust and came crashing back down, Leviathan coiled and turned its head, making it into a dive – the Lord of Light held in its mouth and aimed downward, destined to mark the first impact. Like a freight airliner crashing into the ocean, the monstrous forms struck and disappeared beneath the waves.

/-/

Jaune's body burned as he dragged the Lord of Light deeper and deeper into the ocean. The myriad wounds he'd suffered before were torn open anew as it thrashed and bit into him. The blood that misted in the water was as much his own as its, and his powerful muscles began to wane as even his jaw slowly fell open, something torn and preventing him from gripping down as he might have wished.

The Lord of Light slipped free and began to thrash its way to the surface, while he, exhausted, sank below.

But this was _his_ Domain. _His_ ocean. The currents shifted suddenly, dragging the Grimm down. At the same time, those around him moved the opposite way and he closed his yellow eyes – or his one remaining eye – and leaned his head forward, ramming the creature with so much force that light flashed from their impact. Bubbles exploded out from its beak, and though it managed to score a hit in return, it was glancing at best.

Rock and rubble from the ocean floor were drawn up and pelted into it, boulders shattering on its wings and stones raining at its eyes from every direction. The ocean itself turned violent, water slamming into its side, forcing itself down the creature's throat and gouging at its eyes. Even as Jaune sank and collapsed in a cloud of silt and dust on the bottom of the ocean, relying on naught but his control of water to keep water moving through his gills, his control over his Domain remained absolute, just as it had for the Lord of Light above, in the searing sunlight.

It would drown here if he wished it. If it could. Already its spasms had begun to slow, and he could feel inevitability calling, creeping around the thing with watery tendrils.

Something tickled in the back of his mind.

Someone else had entered his Domain. Someone familiar.

With incredible reluctance, he let the Grimm go. Withdrew his power. The Grimm, weak and drowning, slowly fought its way to the surface, using its damaged and tattered wings like fins. It passed out of sight, though not out of his awareness. He could sense it as easily as he could his own body. It was climbing to the surface once more, desperate to retreat and recover its strength.

There, Weiss awaited it.

 _Good luck,_ he thought, succumbing to exhaustion.

/-/

Weiss struggled with the tree limb, bobbing in the air with sweat pouring down her brow. A philosophical thought passed for whether that was real or not; this wasn't her real body as she never bled, so how did she sweat? Or did she just _believe_ she was sweating, when in reality it was her body's natural response.

With a shake of her head, she dismissed those thoughts and focused on the task at hand. Several hundred metres in the air and fighting for every metre on top of that, she held the heavy wooden limb with both hands and her mind, wrapping what she imagined to be chains of light around it.

Whether that worked or not, she didn't know. It made her feel better.

If all it took for this to work was a placebo, then so be it.

A shape formed in the water, black amidst the dark red that the ocean had become. It grew larger and larger as it came to the surface and Weiss waited with breath held. The wingspan gave away which it was – if the speed didn't. Jaune could have risen faster. Fighting her instincts, Weiss let the Grimm break the surface. It floundered there, drawing breath and looking about.

In a moment of clarity, it sensed her in its Domain and looked up.

Weiss pushed down.

Using both her legs to kick at the air, and her power to make that mean something, she shot down, bracing the wooden limb with her body and aiming the tip down. Like a missile, she and the lance came hurtling down onto the Lord of Light, who could only flap his wings uselessly in the water and try to take off. As sodden as its feathers were, it couldn't generate the life required to draw its weight out of the ocean.

The Lord of Light screeched at her.

"Get out of my head!" Weiss screamed back, slamming down.

The impact was brutal. The limb she'd braced against herself struck and bit down, piercing through the Grimm's chest but also slamming back into her shoulder. She might have died too were it not for the fact that it was her soul and not her body. As it was, she gasped for breath and slumped forward and down, collapsing onto its chest, stunned. Next to her arm, blood bubbled from the grievous wound she'd inflicted. Judging from the blood pooling in the water, the tree limb had cut all the way through it and come out the back.

"You… ah… b-brought this… on yourself," she said between pants. "I wanted… nothing to do… with you." But if this thing, this monster, thought she would roll over and give up? Well, then it was no better than her father. "Fuck you," she whispered, the words she'd always wanted to say to Jacques but never been brave enough to utter. "Fuck you."

 _Tschhh – Clink – Clink_

/-/

Pale blue eyes opened to see a ceiling above her, wooden beams and shadowed corners with a cobweb on one, a small spider in the centre, waiting for a pesky fly to come by and become a meal. Her vision was soon filled with two faces, one older than the other and the youngest pointing the barrel of a gun at her nose.

"Prove you're Weiss."

"How the hell am I supposed to do that?" she croaked back. "You don't know a thing about me."

The gun was lowered. The girl smiled. "Good enough."

"Did it work?" Ozpin asked, leaning forward. "Are you okay?" He looked aside. "Ruby, please check on Mr Arc and make sure he's in one piece. Velvet, we need food and some warm milk. Something hearty; I'm sure Miss Schnee could use it."

The girls hurried off to obey, Ruby moving into the bathroom where Jaune would be in the tub, sleeping without drowning in a pool of water. Weiss took the time to let Ozpin help her into a sitting position and bring a hand up to her face. "My head is killing me," she whispered. "Water?"

"Here." He held a glass to her mouth, which she drank of greedily. "Were you successful in slaying the beast? Have your dreams been cleared?"

"I… I don't know. I think so." A wave of nausea came over her, but she shook it off. "I don't feel it anymore. The sounds, the shattering of mirrors, they're gone. I can't hear it. I don't know if that means it's done or not. I _know_ I stabbed it through the chest. And I felt it breathe its last."

"We will pray that is enough, then. No news is good news and you are here with us alive and in possession of your mind." The door opened and Jaune came out leaning on Ruby for support and dripping water all over the carpet. Ozpin didn't seem to mind. "Mr Arc. Our plan worked, then?"

"Yeah." Jaune grimaced, but behind it there was the hint of a proud smile. "Had to get involved myself, but that was only possible because the storm blocked out the sunlight. Thanks for the help, Ozpin."

"Idiots, both of you," Ruby said. "It's not like I would have refused to help if you'd told me the plan." She shook her head and lowered Jaune down into a seat.

"Ruby," Ozpin began, "Is there any way to know for sure if Miss Schnee has absorbed the power of a Grimm?"

"She has. I can smell it."

Smell? Weiss pinched her nose, a little offended at the thought she stunk. "As if I'm the only one. I've no idea what perfume you use, but you might want to get a refund. The flowers smell dead and rotten."

"I don't wear perfume. And that's my natural odour, thanks…"

"Oh." Weiss' face fell. "I… uh…"

"If nothing else, that ought to confirm it," Ruby said, ignoring her entirely and looking to Ozpin. "A Grimm's scent is something that only exists in the other world. A normal human could get as close as they wanted to without being able to smell rotten flowers on me or saltwater on Jaune." Ruby glanced to Weiss again. "You smell like warm air on a summer's day. Lucky you."

Weiss' head fell further. After all the effort they'd put into helping her, too. "I-I'm sorry. I spoke without thinking."

"You can make it up to me if you want…"

"Ruby," Jaune said, sounding utterly spent and leaning back on his chair. "Weiss already said she'd help us find Cinder. That's enough. You don't need to guilt her into it."

Was that really the problem? Weiss looked to Ruby in time to see the girl huff and turn away. "I will help," Weiss promised. "You both helped me fight the Grimm and I'd have died if it weren't for Jaune's control over water. I'll do whatever I can to help. Though… it might take me a while to get a handle on my powers."

"It'll take me a few days to recover as well," Jaune said before Ruby could complain. "My body is all but ripped to pieces. I don't think I'll be going anywhere fast until I'm better. Sorry Ruby."

"Ugh. I guess it can't be helped. Ozpin, make sure you open a window for her. She'll recover faster in direct sunlight." Looking to her, Ruby said, "And you'll want to spend as much time outside as you can. It's your Domain now. Take advantage of it."

"I will." Weiss nodded to her. "And thank you again. I won't forget this."

"No problem." Ruby offered her the ghost of a smile before continuing, "I'm going to go out and do a little hunting. In human form," she added. "See if I can't find any more of those people being kept by Cinder."

"You think there's more?" Jaune asked wearily.

"Yep."

"It's almost certain that there is," Ozpin chose to explain in more detail. "It would be foolish to use them all straight away and some might be in particularly useful positions. As infiltrators, she would be able to use them to influence our world in more ways than if she just killed and took them over. People in the hospital, government or even the military would give her limitless options."

"They'd have to go about living their normal lives to stay infiltrated, though," Ruby said. "I'll see if I can smell any and figure out where they live."

"And if you do?" Jaune asked.

"I'll mark them on my phone. I'm not going to kill them, though… we might have to. It might be safer than leaving them to run free and bomb another hospital." Seeing their worried expressions, she shrugged. "Sorry. There's not really a better solution I can offer. If we knew where she was, we could kill her and free them, but we don't. Even if we took them prisoner, we'd only be telling her where to find the Beacon."

Ozpin nodded grimly. "Do what you have to, but I'd appreciate a list before you start taking matters into your own hands. Knowing where our enemies are might be better for us than a bunch of dead bodies. There is already enough unrest in the city as it is. I don't want a fresh spate of killings to prompt military intervention. Not when Cinder might then target and capture someone in command there."

It didn't bear thinking about.

"I'll be careful," Ruby promised.

/-/

They left Weiss to recover with the windows open and retired to the main dining area of the inn, where people were just beginning to arrive in preparation for the night. Weapons were drawn from lockers at the back and food and drink was served. Ozpin spent some time to give the hunters their marching orders, leaving Jaune to eat a beef dinner prepared by Oscar in the English style. Plenty of mashed potato, rich beef gravy, vegetables and a Yorkshire pudding. He'd just about finished that and was using the last bit of pastry to wipe up the remaining gravy when Ozpin came back.

"Enjoy it? A staple from my homeland."

"We have Sunday dinners here as well," Jaune pointed out.

"True, but the gravy is always so thin, and I order my beef from Ireland. It's much better."

"The world is ending, monsters roam the streets and you import beef."

Ozpin chuckled and sat down with a drink of his own. "If I'm going to hold back the monsters, I'll be doing it on the food I enjoy, thank you very much. Besides, keeping the hunters hale and hearty bolsters our odds." Ozpin raised his glass. "A toast. To Weiss' survival, and your hand in it."

"Our hands," Jaune said, clinking his glass against the old man's and taking a drink. "Your advice saved the day."

"I'm an old man. All these years of mine have to be good for something."

"Good enough to have saved a whole lot of lives."

"Yes." Ozpin smiled proudly, and well he ought to. "My death is not something I look forward to, but at least I can rest assured I have lived a good life. Not that I expect it to come anytime soon. A consequence of fighting for one's life, I'm afraid. My body is quite healthy. Still, I'm not as active as I used to be and if Weiss and Velvet can take over some of my responsibilities early, that will free me up to focus more on researching the cause of all this."

Jaune drank again, savouring the warmth the vodka mixer offered. While not technically old enough to drink, at least here in the US, he got away with it at the Beacon. It also wasn't like he and his sisters hadn't experimented with drinks before.

"How goes that research? How does one even research something from another world?"

"With great difficulty. And great frustration. I comb any and every text that has to do with _anything_ that sounds similar to what we're dealing with. Stories of demons, fairies, legends and myth. Who is to honestly say that a story from ancient texts might not mean the Grimm? When the Bible talks of hell and the denizens within, what is to say someone had not crossed over and seen the Grimm world? What is to say bigfoot was not a Grimm? Or that dragons did exist in medieval Europe?"

"Spooky. Does that mean ghost stories, too?"

"Of course. Every paranormal haunting – even those blasted TV shows. I've had to investigate each and every one of them _just in case_ there is something I might learn. Like an ancient astronomer picking at a subject no one understands, my work is as much guesswork as fact. I make a hypothesis based on the information available, do my best to test it – or have someone, usually Ruby, test it – and work from what we find."

"Sounds daunting."

"It is. Also, the sheer amount of time required." He sighed. "I had to comb through all of H. P. Lovecraft's works on the _off-chance_ he may have stumbled on the truth. After all, what appears real to us might seem as fiction to others, so is it not possibly the same here?"

"Are you about to tell me Cthulhu is real?"

"Bah. I've no idea." Ozpin drank some more. "It's possible, I suppose, that he saw a Grimm based off a bipedal squid. Why not? You're a sea monster yourself at times. But I ultimately decided his was fiction. Mentions of insanity had me curious at first, what with normal people surely considering us Awakened to be insane, but the details of ancient cults, a sunken city and other aspects convinced me his was a fictional account." He grimaced. "Days of research wasted."

"Have you looked into the lighthouse?"

"The great big glowing spectral lighthouse floating outside the inn casting a green glow over the city that is only visible to the Awakened?" Ozpin asked sarcastically. "No. Why, do you think it's unusual in some way?"

"Ha." Jaune choked on a laugh. "Okay, okay. I deserved that. So, anything?"

"Hard to research what can't be touched. I've tried sailing out to it of course, but it becomes more and more indistinct the closer you come to it. It was here before I was obviously, and I chose to set up here to research it. Later, it turned out to become a beacon to all those who had Awakened, drawing them here and to safety, but I must admit that was pure luck on my part. After realising how useful it was for that purpose, I renamed this place `The Beacon` and started to operate the Hunters from here." Ozpin shrugged in embarrassment. "It was called `The Black Horse` before."

Jaune cocked his head. "Why?"

"It's an English pub thing, you wouldn't understand. Anyway, there's not much to be said for the lighthouse itself. I'm not the cause of it if that's what you're thinking." He wasn't. Jaune had thought he might be at first, but there was no Grimm scent on Ozpin, and given that they all now knew Grimm _could_ work with humans, there would have been no need for Ozpin to hide it if he was one. "The light has no effect on people nearby as far as I can tell, no increased Awakenings. Vale _is_ the centre for Nightmares, but the question of causality applies here. Does the lighthouse cause the Nightmares, or is the lighthouse visible because the Nightmares have thinned the barrier here?"

"Hm. I've no idea. I only really noticed it after I Awakened and there's no arguing it helps the Hunters." But with no ability to interact with it, everything was just conjecture. "You've had to leave it be, then?"

"Unfortunately. I'd love to do more, but I lack the time and resources. Plus, with three Grimm working on our side now – or Grimm-human hybrids in your and Weiss' case – there's much more immediate avenues available to us."

He had a feeling this was leading somewhere, though he couldn't say he wasn't fully on board with the idea. "What do you need me to do?"

"Nothing much. Just keep track of what you see in the other world and any oddities you notice, either about yourself or other Grimm. Anything you notice may be useful in piecing together our understanding of the Grimm. I'll be asking Weiss for the same. If I have anything more specific for you, I shall let you know."

"Sure. I'll help however I ca-"

The conversation was interrupted by several angry cries from the patrons of the Beacon, all of whom had risen to their feet and begun to shout obscenities at the TV in the corner. Ozpin narrowed his eyes and stood, moving over to the bar, picking up the remote and using it to increase the volume. It was the nine O'clock news covering Massachusetts."

" _News on the atrocities continues in the city of Vale, but today we have breaking news that a party has taken responsibility for the bombing attacks which left hundreds dead and many more critically injured. This criminal gang, calling themselves `The Hunters` have claimed responsibility for the attack and have promised to commit more in the coming weeks. Police have been alerted and citizens are advised to remain calm and report any suspicious behaviour to the proper authorities."_

" _While there is no information yet on what these people desire or why the attack on the hospital, witnesses have come forth to support the evidence with sightings of people roaming the streets at night, armed and dangerous. Some have even reported gunshots on certain nights, while, during the natural disaster that struck Vale a week past, several armed figures were found dead on the streets. Our experts are digging further into the matter, but Senators and the President himself have spoken out against the atrocities, saying that further attacks will not be allowed and law keeping forces will be dispatched to Vale."_

The volume was drowned out by angry shouts and swearing from the people eating and drinking, along with chairs falling to the floor as people stood and argued. Ozpin made no attempt to stop them and instead placed the remote down and covered his face with one hand.

No Hunter would claim responsibility for what happened, but he knew one person who might enjoy incriminating them, and who had the means and motive to do it.

"Cinder…"

* * *

 **Cinder using her minions effectively. Jaune and Ruby have managed to gain a new ally, though. The Grimm turn to using humans and the humans turn to using Grimm. Both sides learning from the enemy in a sense.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 26** **th** **May**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	34. Chapter 34

**Here we go.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 34**

* * *

Eastfield was abuzz with rumours. There wasn't a single person who hadn't at least heard of the news report the night before, and many had seen it, if not at the time then on the internet and YouTube afterwards. People whispered in huddled groups and by lockers while others moved about with nervous energy, questioning whether school was safe at all with terrorist attacks going on. Others spoke of times they'd _seen_ the coat-wearing and dangerous hunters, often prowling by the dock and boulevard.

If there was one blessing, and it was a small one, then it was that his return from suspension garnered a lot less interest than it would normally have, especially given his turn from mild-mannered bullying victim to brutal and near-murderous psychopath.

That wasn't to say some didn't look nervously at him. Cardin was also nowhere to be seen, likely avoiding him entirely. That was better for the both of them. Picking his way through the school's corridors, Jaune made his way to his classroom, stepping in and spotting Nora and Ren at their tables as usual. Nora saw him in return and stiffened.

Ren was oblivious and held up a hand. "Hey." He smiled. "The reprobate returns. Thinking of staying for longer than a week this time?"

"I'll try my best." Sitting down, Jaune tried not to look too closely at Nora, who was doing the same in return. "Seriously, though, that was a bad spell on my end. I think I'll be better now. Calmer."

"Hm. I don't think Cardin will dare try anything. Bullies don't want someone who'll fight back."

"That's the dream."

"You hear the news?" Ren asked suddenly.

"Yeah." Jaune's face fell. "Yeah, I did."

Nora shuffled awkwardly and glanced at him. Her eyes were full of questions.

"Crazy to think there'd be people like that in Vale. My parents are pretty nervous about it all. They're not sure if we'll be targeted."

Jaune frowned. "Why would you?"

"We don't know what these `Hunters` want. They've not made any demands or political motives. They're worried it might be something targeting those not from America. You know how people are always up in arms about that. Stolen jobs and the like."

"Does that happen in Vale?"

"Not as much as it did when we lived further south," Ren said easily, "But maybe that's the point. Maybe they're coming to Vale because they want to make a statement."

"Maybe it's not that at all," Jaune grumbled.

"Hm?"

"Do we even know these Hunters are real?" he asked. "Or that they were really behind it? We just have one person's word of that. Wouldn't blaming someone else for everything be a good way to divert attention from those really responsible?"

Nora's head shot up.

Jaune cursed. He was being too obvious. Too defensive.

"Could be," Ren said, missing the byplay and lacking context. "I guess that's for the police to figure out. Even if they're not behind it, there's not much excuse for walking around the city armed to the teeth. If they're just a gang, they're still breaking the law."

"Yeah. I guess."

There was no way they could prove otherwise without causing a mass Awakening. They had to accept being criminals. It was for the best for every single person in Vale. It was what Ozpin had decided at Beacon, and it was something that earned him a lot of anger from all the hunters there, who would be put at further risk by armed police and other forces trying to bring them down. There was talk of the FBI and military getting involved and last night's interview hadn't helped calm fears.

But what could they do? The only way to prove their innocence was to show exactly _why_ they had to go around armed to the teeth. It would mean showing the truth of the Grimm to everyone. Even if they tried to keep it quiet, would that work? Tell someone from the FBI and it would be passed around that department and to the President. Certain people would have to know; high profile people. Causing them to Awaken would at best put them in massive danger and at worst open them up to possession by Grimm like Cinder.

If Cinder got hold of someone within the FBI – or hell, the President of the US – they'd be up a creek without a paddle. That was leaving aside the very real possibility of Grimm just attacking a public figure on TV and causing millions to Awaken. If fifty million peopled tunes in and even one out of a hundred believed enough to _see_ the Grimm, that was half a million Awakened. Something like that could spread worse than a computer game zombie virus.

Instant apocalypse.

 _In a world where ignorance is bliss, those in the know suffer._

The bell rung, saving him from having to talk more on it. When the teacher came, they had to sit through a twenty-minute presentation on what they were to do in the event of an attack. Similar to the drills for a school shooting, but with an emphasis on fire safety thanks to the Hunter's – or more realistically Cinder's – proclivity for firebombs.

While the teacher talked, Jaune sniffed the air and closed his eyes. Sweat, chalk and ink came to him, but not in any intensity set to raise suspicion. The teacher wasn't Grimm, though that didn't mean he couldn't be influenced by Cinder or one of her pawns. The scent of ash and fire would only cling to them after their souls entered her Domain during their dreams. Come the morning, a fresh shower and some aftershave or perfume, the scent would be all but gone.

 _I wonder if she has anyone at school. I guess the only thing I can look out for is anyone that hasn't been getting much sleep lately. What with the attacks, those she has control of must be nervous. They don't know if they'll be told to give up their lives next._

Having a pawn at the school would have been good for her, partly because she targeted students for Leviathan and also because it would have kept her cover as Rebecca Farleigh. That said, she'd actually been a good teacher, so maybe that was a sign she didn't have anyone here. Because if she did, she wouldn't have needed to try so hard to blend in.

Soon after lessons began, a piece of paper was tapped onto his desk by Nora. Making sure no one had noticed, he opened it up and peeked at the message.

` _Recess. Art room.`_

Jaune nodded and pocketed the note.

Recess came at 10:30 and lasted for only twenty minutes. That was different to what he'd been used to in Boston, but Eastfield followed a different schooling method, something a little more experimental he was told. From Scandinavia. He'd not cared to read deeper into it, only that people from Eastfield tended to do well in getting into the top colleges. The art room was abandoned but for Nora, who was biting her nails and standing at the back. She jumped when he entered and closed the door.

"H-Hey…" She waved nervously, as if they hadn't just spent the morning together.

"I'm not going to hurt you…"

"I know." She rubbed one arm with her hand. "I mean, kinda silly to after you risked your life to save me. Heh heh." Her laughter trailed off helplessly. "So, um. I'm just gonna come out and say it. Are you one of those Hunters?"

Fucking hell. Jaune looked to the door to make sure no one was out there listening in. Seeing no one, he stalked forward, making her back up in fear. He kept coming until they were close, close enough for her to hear him whisper, "You can't just _say_ that."

"Are you, though? You are. Aren't you?"

"This isn't something you want to dig into, Nora. It's dangerous."

"Yeah, I can tell! But if you're a hunter, then you weren't the one to start that fire. You were fighting the person who did. And you told Ren earlier they might be framed." Her lips pulled up into a desperate, needy smile. "That's true, isn't it? You're being framed. You're not the ones responsible for hitting the hospital and everywhere else."

He realised why she looked so desperate. It was because she _needed_ to believe he was a good person, because she was terrified of finding out someone she considered a friend was part of an evil group targeting civilians. He wasn't sure what she'd do if she thought he was. Nora was many things, but predictable wasn't one of them.

"It's true. We're not behind this."

"Thank god!" Nora crashed into him, arms wrapping around his stomach. "I-I knew, but… but I thought it might just be you who wasn't. That maybe they were all doing it, but you knew I was in danger, so you went against them."

She'd been thinking long and hard on this, obviously.

"It's none of us, Nora. Someone else is framing us. Lying. But you can't know more." He placed his hands on her shoulders and pushed her away gently, but firmly. "You've already seen how dangerous it is. You're my friend, both you and Ren, and the last thing I want is for you to be dragged into this. Please. Please don't dig any deeper."

"But I can help-"

"No!" He shook her. "No, you can't. God, Nora. Did you _see_ what happened? You nearly died. We both did. This isn't a game and it's not something that any sane person should get into, let alone something I'd want to drag you into."

He took a step back, letting her go and ignoring her hurt expression.

"I know you want to help me, Nora. I love you for it – I really do. But the best way you can help me is to not get involved. You understand?"

"No…"

"Good. Keep it that way."

"And what if you die?" Nora demanded, tears in her eyes. "What then? What am I supposed to do?"

If he died? Well, that was a possibility at this point. He wouldn't say he wasn't afraid of it because he was, but death felt like a much kinder fate than living to see his friends and family's souls devoured. Selfish as it was, he wouldn't have to stick around to feel the pain if he died. Of course, Nora would hate that answer.

"You live," he said. "You live and live a good life. Ask Ren out, convince him to stop being an idiot and accept you. Have loads of kids. Get a great home. Buy a dog and spoil it rotten." He stared her in the eye, seeing so much defiance there. "If you do anything else, you'll be spitting in my eye when I risked my life to save you."

Nora flinched. "That's not fair…"

"Trust me, I know. I didn't ask to be dragged into this either. I'm not in this by choice, Nora. I got dragged in against my will, which is why I know a thing or two when I say I'm not going to do the same to you."

Turning away, Jaune walked toward the door.

"I'm sorry if that hurts, but it's better this way. For both of us."

/-/

"Hello Jaune." Pyrrha smiled for him. "I was wondering if you would ever come back. The last I saw you was before the hurricane."

"Hey," he replied awkwardly, stood out on the track field in a white tee and dark-blue shorts. "Sorry about that, I… kinda got suspended." Odds were she'd heard of it, and since she didn't look all that shocked, he figured she had. "I kept meaning to come back for training. Things just kept getting in the way."

"I'm glad to hear you've come back. Are you up for a jog now?"

"Us?" he asked, looking around. "Where is everyone?"

"There's a football match on at the moment." Pyrrha huffed. "Not a school one, just training between the team, but most of the girls have gone to go watch it."

"You don't sound too impressed."

"Should I be? It's just a sport, same as any other."

While that was true, football earned a lot more attention than a lot of other school activities. It wasn't as big as football – soccer – was in the rest of the world, but when you compared football to swimming, running or tennis, you got a lot more interest in the former. That and baseball. A cynical part of him wondered if it was because the US didn't so well in sports that other countries were involved in. Not that they did poorly, but they didn't `win` all the time.

His mother was more of an Olympics fan herself, and he'd picked up a little love for that as well. Not that he ever thought he'd be athlete enough for that. _Cardin always did love football because of the popularity as much as the sport. Being captain of the team gives him a lot of sway._

"I was just surprised," he said. "I thought you'd want to go cheer your boyfriend on."

"M-My boyfriend…?"

"Uh. Yeah. Cardin?"

Pyrrha looked shocked for a moment, then flustered. "Cardin and I aren't dating. I'm not sure where you heard that."

From Cardin, though he had the sense not to say that. "Oh. My bad…"

"Really, he asked me out once, but I told him I was more interested in school. I can't believe that rumour is still persisting." Shaking her head, she looked to him with a smile. "So, about that run? I was going to do a few laps myself but it's nice to have company every now and then."

"Sure. I'm up for it."

Starting slow and quickly finding a pace they were both happy with, the two jogged around the long track, sticking side by side for the most part and not making a race out of it. Jogging was as relaxing for him as it had ever been, and without the exhaustion that came from Leviathan hunting him, it helped him burn off the stress from the night before.

His Leviathan form was still injured. He could feel the pain from them, but in a distant way. Like a memory of a toothache that made your jaw clench even though it was gone. It would take a few days to recover, which meant he was stuck in his human form for a bit. That wasn't much of a problem for him, but Ruby was less than pleased.

 _Pyrrha smells of sweat and grass,_ he thought, glancing to her. He wasn't sure why he'd become so paranoid – as far as he could tell, Grimm-possessed were exceptionally rare. There was also no sign of exhaustion on her, evidenced by the pace she kept up. He doubted she was struggling to sleep, which meant she was likely safe from Cinder.

"You got suspended for getting into a fight with Cardin, didn't you?"

The question came out of nowhere and Jaune looked to her. "Hm?"

"I heard about it from a friend," she explained. "Was it because of me? I'm not blind to everything that goes on and I know Cardin gets angry whenever another guy comes to talk to me. It's childish, but there's nothing I can do about it. I've tried telling him to stop and he just lies, saying he hasn't been warning people off."

"It wasn't entirely about you. Cardin has hated me for years. We went to the same middle school together."

"Not as friends, I assume."

"We were once. Long time ago." That was the thing with bullies, really. It hurt more when it was someone you know. "I'm not really sure what changed. One day he just decided he thought I was trash, then made a career off reminding me of that every chance he could."

"Ugh." Pyrrha tutted. "So immature. If you like, I could talk with him."

"Nah. Don't bother. Apart from the fact he'd just lie to your face, he'd be angry at me for making him look bac in front of you. Besides, I don't think he'll be an issue after what happened between us."

Pyrrha look at him oddly. "I heard you looked like you were going to kill him."

"That's people exaggerating." Not quite. "I guess it looked worse than it was. I was pretty angry. Someone close to me had just died and Cardin insulted them to my face." He heard Pyrrha gasp. "I lost my mind a little. They were… I won't say we were the closest of friends, but I respected her a lot. She helped me out when I was in serious trouble, even though she didn't like me all that much."

"Was it Yang?"

Jaune shot her a look.

"I heard rumours. People were saying the two of you were going out."

"We weren't." God, the rumours were ridiculous. Then again, Yang had been one of the most popular people in Eastfield – without even caring for it – so it made sense her sudden interest in him would have been noticed.

What pissed him off more was how her so-called friends, her posse, hadn't even bothered to mourn her passing. They'd closed ranks and latched onto the next big thing, forgetting about Yang entirely. No wonder she hadn't given a shit about their opinions. Yang knew from the start what kind of people they were.

"Sounds like we've both been paired up against our wills," Pyrrha joked.

"Heh. Yeah, it does."

They jogged on for a while, the conversation naturally descending to small talk of school, studies, what they did for fun and anything else that crossed their minds. Thankfully, Pyrrha wasn't interested in bringing up the hunters, enemy number one for the people of Vale at that moment. Instead, she was happy to keep it simple and relaxed. Something he was grateful for.

"I had fun," she said once the bell had rung to warn of ten minutes left. "We should do this again sometime. Do you jog much out of school?"

"Less than I used to."

She cocked her head and smiled. "Consider picking it up again? I wouldn't mind a running partner."

Was she-? No, surely not. He looked away before she could see his expression. At any other time, he'd have said yes – hell yes. Even if she wasn't asking what he thought she might be, he'd have been up for someone to spend a little time with.

Now, though? Given all the problems he had?

"I can't." He watched her face fall. "Not because I don't want to, but because I picked up a job outside school. Part time."

Her smile came back, relieved. "Really? What as?"

"I work in an English-style pub. It serves food and drink."

"Is that legal?"

"Long as I don't serve the drink, sure. I clean up and help cook."

"Ah." Pyrrha made an understanding sound. "That's good. Does it pay well?"

"Better than not having a job did." He laughed and Pyrrha joined in. "Maybe if everything clears up there, I could start running again." If the Grimm threat ended. "If that happens, I'll let you know. I'd totally be up for it."

"That sounds grand. Let me know if anything changes. I don't mind doing my run in the morning or evening. I'm fairly flexible."

"Your parents won't mind?"

"No." Pyrrha shook her head. "Dad works with the police and mom is a teacher at a children's care centre. They both wake up early as it is." She giggled. "They call me lazy if I wake up any later than six-thirty."

"Ha. They sound like characters."

"Hm. They are. I have a sister, too. Helena. But she's moved out. She joined the military a year back. She's stationed on an air base in Japan. I get all sorts of Japanese souvenirs for birthdays and Christmas."

"Thinking of enlisting yourself?" he asked.

"Nope. I'm going to join the force."

"Police? Following in your father's footsteps?"

"Yes. I always grew up with tales and TV programs about the police. I guess it was his influence, not to mention seeing him in uniform. I always wanted to be Vale's first female police chief."

"Big dreams. I'm sure you can make it." The bell rung again and Jaune winced. "We'd best get changed before classes start. I guess I'll tell you if my circumstances change."

"Want to swap numbers?"

He'd never agreed quicker. Going back to their bags, which they'd left at the side, they exchanged numbers, Pyrrha typing hers into his phone while he did the same in return. With a quick text of names for reference, Jaune ran back to the men's changing room, feeling as light as a cloud.

Cardin was there, glaring his way.

Jaune looked back. It was almost a shame that Cardin stank of sweat, mud and other men – nothing unusual and nothing he could report to Ruby or Ozpin.

The football star turned and continued with his locker, ignoring Jaune entirely.

 _Better. Let's keep it that way._

/-/

"I wasn't able to find anyone at Eastfield," he reported. "Can't say I was around every single person, though. I'll keep an eye out in the coming days. Any luck on your end?"

"None yet," Ruby replied. "I combed the middle school from head to bottom and there was nothing. Cinder probably had her sights set on older targets. With her and Leviathan mated, it was likely they intended to continue with that in human forms. Even for a Grimm, sleeping with a child must have appeared awkward."

"Guess so. You doing anything tonight?"

"Hunting." Ruby opened her coat, showing a glimpse of steel beneath. Her scythe.

"That safe?"

"Safer for me than anyone else. Plus, if Cinder is going to be active at any time…"

It would be at night. Looking back to Ozpin and finding him distracted, and with Weiss still resting despite the day or more since her battle, he stood. "I'll come with you. I need something to do."

Ruby raised an eyebrow. "I thought you never wanted to hunt."

"I don't. But I want to let everyone down even less."

"Fair enough." Ruby led him to a cabinet and opened it, revealing numerous weapons. "I know you can control water if you're near the reservoir, but there's no guarantee we will be. Take something cutting."

There were knives, cleavers, spikes and more. No swords and spears like some fantasy movie – this was Massachusetts and that kind of stuff would raise questions. At best, there was an axe or two. Single handed and designed for hacking at something. He was lost with that much choice.

"Any suggestions?"

"Machete." Reaching in, Ruby brought out a heavy blade the length of his forearm. "Simple enough to use, easy to conceal and the blade is one-sided. You won't accidentally cut yourself on it unless you put your hand in front of it."

It was heavier than he expected. He couldn't imagine how heavy Ruby's scythe must have been. There was a leather harness to go with it that strapped over one shoulder, under, and then around his chest and waist. It secured the machete to his side, under his left arm. He could draw it with his right across his body, all without cutting himself.

More importantly, his coat went over the top. His hoodie was under. Ruby also offered him a bandanna which she helped show how to tie around his lower face. She then drew it down, so it hung around his neck like a scarf.

"We don't mask up when we're just walking around," she explained. "People would notice. Only pull that up if you're about to do something we can't have anyone noticing. Usually before we engage Grimm."

"Right." He touched and tugged it up, finding it fit snugly. He let it fall again. "Do we need marching orders from Ozpin?"

"No. That's only when he has a task for us. Most of the time, we just patrol our own routes. Many hunters have family, and naturally look after those areas. Those without take places like the high streets and shopping areas. We'll stick to the docks."

Ruby led him out the Beacon and drew up her hood, sticking her hands in her pockets and walking down the waters edge boulevard like a petulant child. It was an act of course, trying to look as standoffish and irritable as possible so no one would approach her. Jaune followed, keeping pace easily. They weren't moving all that quick, a slow stroll at best.

"What do you actually look for on a hunt?" he asked.

" _We_ don't look. We smell." Ruby tapped her nose. "As for most hunters, it's a case of walking slowly, listening and keeping an eye out. You don't have a destination, so you just go slowly enough that you have time to notice anything out of the ordinary."

"Like…?"

"Grimm being the obvious one, but unusual mist, bodies, sounds of fighting." She looked at him. "That's how I found you. I could smell the Grimm attacking you, but it was the _sounds_ of you running that helped me pinpoint it."

"I see." Jaune raised his head and took a heavy sniff, Ruby doing the same behind him. There were a hundred different scents, but the strongest by far were rotten flowers and a breezy summer's day – Ruby and Weiss respectively. He imagined Ruby could smell the deep ocean with him. "I'm not getting anything. You?"

"Nothing. It would be brave of Cinder to come down here."

"Not if she didn't care about her body dying."

Ruby inclined her head. "Good point. I-"

"Hey!" a voice called. "You there. On the boulevard."

Ruby and he exchanged looks and then turned around. Approaching them was a police officer, two of them in fact. One was male and the other female, the woman holding back as the man approached with a friendly smile, but a cautious step.

"Are you talking to us?" Ruby asked.

"I am. The two of you out for a late-night stroll?"

"We are," Ruby lied. "Is that not allowed?"

"I didn't say that." The officer spread his arms. Jaune took the chance to smell him but caught nothing. His eyes weren't glowing, either. Neither was the woman's. "I just wanted to have a talk with the two of you. That's all."

Ruby tensed. "We've got places to be. My mom will have my ass if I'm out much later."

"I'm sure she won't mind if we explain things," he said. "I'd even be willing to give the two of you a lift back. It's not safe out here. I just wanted to ask you a few quick questions about the area, since the two of you seem to know it so well." He smiled again. All too friendly. "Why don't you lose the hoods and we can talk face to face?"

"We'd rather not." Ruby took a step back. "Do you have a reason to detain us, officer? You're not allowed to just stop us."

"Actually, we are," the woman said, cutting in. "New powers granted in the wake of the recent attack. Stop searches have been allowed across Vale. We'll have to ask you to search you for weapons."

"Melissa," the man grunted. "What did I say?"

"They weren't listening. Direct approach is better." She strode forward. "You with me, ma'am, while officer Wilkins checks your friend. If you've nothing to hide, you've nothing to fear."

Shit. Jaune flinched back without meaning to. It drew their attention. The man's eyes hardened. The city was responding to Cinder's lies. More police presence, laws to back it up and probably more to be seen around. They couldn't return to Beacon without leading these two there. Jaune looked to Ruby for leadership, knowing she was more familiar with this than he.

Ruby drew her snood up, covering the bottom half of her face.

 _Oh god, oh god, oh god. We're actually doing this._ Jaune dragged his up to, breathing warmly through the thin material. His chest rose and fell as panic set in. These weren't Grimm. These weren't people he could just kill and feel no remorse for.

The female police officer dragged out her walkie-talkie and began to bark into it, detailing their location and calling for backup. The male officer, whose eyes had widened, reached for his sidearm, or for a baton. Ruby beat him to it, darting into his guard and grabbing his wrist before he could draw.

No warning for him. No prep time. They were just attacking two police officers.

Great!

"Sorry," Ruby said, twisting the man's arm back and sweeping his legs out from under him. "But I've got something to hide and a whole lot of things to fear, none of which are you."

"Drop him!" the woman barked. She had a gun out and trained on Ruby. "Let go and step back. Lay down on the floor with your hands over your head." When Jaune shifted one foot to the side, the gun flew to him. "And you as well. Down on the floor. NOW!"

Ruby looked remarkable calm for someone with a gun aimed at her. "Are you going to shoot us?"

"Down! Get down on the ground!"

"Your hands are shaking."

"You think I won't do it?" the woman howled. "After all the people you killed and all the harm you've done, you think I won't pull this trigger? Get down on the ground before I shoot you dead! This is your last warning!"

It was a repeat of him and Yang, except no Nightmare and no Grimm to be seen. If there had been, it would only make it worse. If they were killed by Grimm, that would no doubt be blamed on the hunters. Not that it mattered. The woman's face was furious. Enough so to pull the trigger. Jaune slowly lowered himself onto one knee, holding his hands up.

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Bye."

The gun fired.

The shot pinged off the pavement behind where Ruby had been. She darted away, cutting sideways off the main road and into an alley between two buildings. "Shit!" the officer roared, giving chase. "Wilkins, tag the other one. I'm giving chase."

"What? Alone? You've seen what they're capable of! At least call it-" The male officer cut off with a curse as Jaune was on his feet and running in the opposite direction. "Fuck! Oi, stop! Stop or I'll shoot!"

He didn't. To stop was to die. Or worse – if it could be worse – to be found out. His family would hear how he was a criminal. They'd think him a terrorist. His father, a proud patriot and military officer, would be devastated. Death felt preferable to that. Life felt even more so.

"Stop!" A gunshot echoed behind and skimmed past him. A second hit the road behind as he turned left, running over to the railing leading down into the reservoir.

Water was life. Water was escape. Not stopping to hesitate or take a bullet, Jaune hurled himself over the railing and down into the Quabbin Reservoir. He cut through the surface with a heavy splash. The police officer would be running up to check or shoot, but he wouldn't find anything. Buoyed by his Domain and powerful beyond belief in it, Jaune was swept away on a current that appeared as if from nowhere, sent hurtling through the water like a torpedo, far out of reach, sight or range of the man and his partner.

Ruby would be okay. He was sure of it. But this marked problems. Not every hunter had the advantages they did. Most of them were just average people in a bad spot, bravely trying their best to survive.

How many would be captured before the night was out?

How many would die as a result?

Though there was no tear in the sky and no Grimm, it was the beginning of a fresh nightmare for their kind. One from which there would be no end when the sun rose, and everyone woke up.

* * *

 **Pyrrha actually making a move on Jaune for once. Go her. And, of course, Cardin lied about them being together. I remember when I first mentioned it, so many people were like "omfg how dare you put them together". Hey guys, come on. People lie. Cardin was just** _ **claiming**_ **her like the jock he so desperately wants to be.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 2** **nd** **Jaune**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	35. Chapter 35

**So, the internet yesterday offed itself. Fun times. Sorry for the delay and all, but I couldn't bring myself to rewrite everything that had been done already. In a rush, too. I wrote the second half yesterday luckily and just used a pen drive to transport it.**

 **God, pen drives. It's been a while since I ever thought those were necessary.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 35**

* * *

"Damn it!" Jaune cursed as he pulled himself out the reservoir and fell on his back on the bank. Water clung to his clothing, dragging him down, and the cool and relaxing depths called to him like a soothing lullaby. It would have been easy to lay on the bottom and forget all the chaos above.

Too easy.

Pulling out his mobile, he cursed again. While he may have been essentially waterproof, electronics were not. The thing wouldn't be working anytime soon. Probably not at all. "Shit!" No calling Ozpin, no making sure Ruby was okay. "Shit, shit, shit!"

Cussing up a storm didn't help as much as he thought it would, but it let him focus his anger, born of frustration, and that let him drag himself up out the water and stagger to his feet. He'd come out several hundred metres further down, away from Beacon. The spectral lighthouse burned in the distance. A quick glance up revealed a starry night sky, slightly overcast but otherwise normal.

"At least it's not a Nightmare. Could be worse, I guess."

The lilting tone of sirens in the distance pushed him on, forcing him away from the reservoir's bank and up a steel ladder onto the stone boulevard. The police must have called in someone jumping into the water. They'd be combing the area, either for a body or some sod dragging himself out. Someone soaked to the bone and looking all the more suspicious for it.

That was his call to get out of the area.

 _Beacon is out. I can't run the risk of taking the police back there, not to mention they might already be interviewing Ozpin. My apartment is burned to the ground and… that's it, really. I don't have all that many other options._

A hotel was possible but risky. If he showed up like this, there'd be questions. If the police then released a statement saying he'd jumped in the river, it would be a handy paper trail back to him, especially since he'd have to give a name at the hotel. Using his power, he strained the water out of his clothing, drying it at an accelerated pace and causing liquid to run down his body in rivulets to the floor. Even if it dried him, it didn't hide the evidence of his dishevelment. It would only buy him time on first glance.

Shoving his hands in his pockets and pulling his scarf down to show a little more of his face, he hunched his shoulders like an anti-social teenager would and stomped his way into the city. It was tempting to go back the way he'd come and act natural, but he wasn't sure that was a good idea. Ruby was the professional here and she was on the run.

"Can't call anyone for help. Can't get a taxi or hotel." He checked his wallet and winched. While some of his money had survived, a few notes had been reduced to putty. It wasn't just the water itself, but the fact he'd been moving through it at speed. "And I should really invest in a waterproof container if I'm going to keep doing this. Would have saved my cash and my phone. Ugh." He groaned. "Lessons learned."

As he stepped out onto the main street away from the boulevard, he paused at a road to watch two police cars scream by, lights flashing. They were on their way to where he and Ruby had been spotted. Moving in the opposite direction, he kept his head down and tried to act unconcerned, pushing through small patches of people out at night.

Ruby's old house might make a good place to stay – and a convenient way to meet her. The one he'd found her crying at after Yang died. It was abandoned and in disrepair, unlikely to be in use even by squatters, and there was a fair chance Ruby would head there herself. It was also far, far away from the Beacon, giving him some cover from the police sure to be swarming the area.

 _All I've got to do is avoid attention._

Ahead of him, a mist-like form half-wafted, half-stepped, out onto the pavement.

Jaune stared at it. "You've got to be kidding me…"

It was four-legged but moved on two. A large, lupine shape that reminded him of a werewolf. One of the more recent Hollywood ones that could run on all fours but also stand on two. It wasn't corporeal yet, not fully. People walked through it and the Grimm paid no attention to them in kind. It was looking for one who could perceive it, and who it could perceive in kind. An Awakened.

Him.

"How?" he hissed. "It's not a Nightmare."

The answer came to him a second later as he ducked into an alleyway and pressed his back against a wall, hiding. It hadn't been a Nightmare when he first Awakened, nor had it been the day or two after when he'd begun to see shadowy shapes and figures moving among people. If the Grimm only came out on Nightmares, Hunters wouldn't need to hunt.

Left unattended, it would roam about in search of prey. If it found any, it would attack. If it didn't, it would dissipate in time – probably during the day.

But there was a risk it could Awaken somebody.

Jaune's eyes fell to his side, to the machete hidden underneath.

No way. He wasn't as afraid as he had been before but going out there now would tell everyone where he was. What were the police going to do when they got a report of someone swinging a bladed weapon at thin air, shouting at the top of his lungs? They'd be all over him. _If I could through the back of the alley and away, I can probably avoid it. Get away to Ruby's place and wait this night out, see if the police are less of a problem during the day._

It was the safest option.

The easiest…

Not the best.

If the Grimm found someone and caused them to Awaken, they were dead. Just like him on his first night when he'd found that body, their only chances for survival would be for a Hunter to be close and to intervene. That was his job, his responsibility. Ruby hadn't shirked it. She'd saved his life.

Yang wouldn't shirk it…

"Talk about timing." Jaune groaned, gritting his teeth. "Now, of all times? You couldn't have waited until I was somewhere less populated?"

Wait. That was it.

Looking out again, Jaune found the monster easily. It seemed interested in a group of women talking by a bus stop. None of them were Awakened; he knew because it didn't attack. It was looking at them in confusion, like a dog presented with something it had never seen before. Was one of them close to Awakening? Was one of them partially visible to it? Possibly. Wincing and clenching one hand into a fist, Jaune stepped out of the alley and began to jog towards them. Towards it.

The Grimm moved forward cautiously, eyes focused on someone in that group of three. It reached out a clawed hand, snout tilted to the side.

Jaune _jogged_ into it.

Not into the Grimm, but its arm. Intangible to everyone else, it was very much the opposite to him and he grunted as he slammed into inhuman muscle and coarse fur. As Leviathan, he had mass and might aplenty, but here he was just a regular person. The Grimm hadn't been expecting it though and its arm was knocked aside.

Its eyes focused on him. Saw him.

"Rarrrrrggghhhhh!" it howled.

"Hm?" One of the girls turned. "Did someone hear that?"

"What? I didn't hear anything."

Jaune burst into a sprint. He pushed past one person and then another, ignoring their shouts and tearing his way out of the crowd, onto the main street and then across the road. Behind, lumbering beats of the Grimm giving chase echoed in his ears, the monster roaring and snarling as it chased after him first on its hind feet, then falling to all fours and moving so much faster.

 _I got its attention. Now to take it somewhere less visible._

Any old alleyway wouldn't do. Not unless it was deep. The high street was too bustling, cars coming and going. It was also where a lot of the beggars and homeless did their craft, begging in alleyways and outside nightclubs. Jaune looked back.

The Grimm was gaining, moving through pedestrians and obstacles without impact. At least most of them. One or two staggered, exclaiming in surprise as they weren't quite bowled aside as they would have been if it were real to them, but they were surprised by something. Felt something. Maybe a gust of wind or a sudden chill.

 _They're close to Awakening,_ he realised. _The whole city is!_

Storm after storm, unnatural occurrences like freak hurricanes, floods and buildings that bled – now combined with arson attacks and mysterious terrorists. The people were becoming suspicious, paranoid.

Open to new ideas.

Vale, and the people in it, was closer to Awakening than it had been when he first did. Leviathan had crossed over, appearing in the Quabbin Reservoir, if only for a moment. How many had looked toward the water that day and seen some indistinct shape? How many had been like the police officer who shot Yang and then died to the Grimm? In times of chaos and pain, people turned to religion, or so the saying went. Couldn't it work the other way around? Once you accepted God, you accepted Satan, devils and hell.

The Grimm weren't too far removed from that.

What would Ruby do? Probably kill it somewhere quiet, where she could fight and show her abilities without other people seeing and Awakening. If he controlled water with even a single witness, that was something that couldn't be explained away. They'd Awaken immediately. Turning off the high street, Jaune ducked down an intersecting road and sprinted on, pushing past a few more people with the Grimm in hot pursuit.

The docks were out thanks to the police, who had no idea how much danger they were putting everyone in. Eastfield was too far away. The park? The place where it had all begun? It wasn't too far from the docks itself, being his old jogging route. Jaune turned off onto it without thinking, crossing the road and glancing back, watching as a parked car suddenly earned a dent and was pushed aside by the Grimm. Nearby people shrieked in fear as, to their eyes, they saw a car mysteriously shunt on its, door caved in, and its alarm began to wail.

Even that was a risk of Awakening, if they couldn't explain it away. Jaune cursed and kept moving. The Grimm was becoming more _real_ the more it chased him. It was coming into this world to hunt him and the risk was growing ever higher. Even if he wanted to stop and make sure those people were okay, he _had_ to get it out of public.

A police car pulled along the road, responding to the disturbance and driving past him.

The _stench_ of ash it left behind stopped him where he stood.

Cinder.

Cinder was in that car!

It trundled on without stopping – as far as he could see, with two people in the front, probably officers, and no one in the back. Jaune took a step forward, only to cry out as his vision was filled with big, black and monstrous fur.

The Grimm's arm caught him in the stomach and launched him back. He crashed through a trio of trash cans, scattering rubbish out onto the floor and earning wide-eyed looks from locals. "I tripped!" he screamed, lying through his teeth to justify his flight. "S-Sorry." Body aching, he was aware of the Grimm charging in. He ducked aside in time to dodge it, masking his sudden movement as a stumble.

The impact of it against the wall sent him rolling forward, selling the act better than he ever could.

"Shorry!" he slurred loudly, hoping it sounded convincing. "Too mush to drink!"

The police car was pulling up alongside the road accident. It was too far away to see their eyes, but the smell was unmistakeable. She was there. Not just threatening a person but fully possessing them. The soul inside one of those bodies had been devoured.

He still had the machete. His hand fell to the handle, caressing it. There was a hydrant nearby, too. One `accident` and he could kill her. Rob her of another body.

But which was it?

Did he dare risk killing the wrong person?

Did he risk the act resulting in retaliation, and a fire versus water fight taking part in a street full of people, Awakening every single one of them?

Damn it.

Angry tears in his eyes, Jaune whirled away. The Grimm gave chase. He was sure Cinder had seen it – she couldn't miss the Grimm, and she could smell him as easily as he could her. _Deal with the Grimm now. Find Cinder later. What could she want in the-? Of course. If she can personally arrest Hunters, she can try and possess or frame them._

Why rely solely on instigating chaos in the name of the Hunters, when she could also influence the people investigating them? She could point them in the right direction, aim them at choice targets.

Fear ran through him.

Cinder knew who he was. She knew his name, his family, where he went to school, what he looked like and how to find him at almost any time of the day. Jaune looked back one last time, weighing that possibility against risking everyone there. What was to say the police hadn't already gone to his parents? What was to say his sisters weren't taken, or dead? Cinder didn't need evidence. She could just make something up and have him `brought in for questioning` then kill him. Sure, her body would be arrested, but she could commit suicide to scrap it, then find and use another.

Ozpin had to know. Or Ruby.

Cinder had to die.

Again.

The treeline of the public park was approaching. Stone gave way to grass, then a flowerbed that he charged through, then a walking path and finally into the wooded area itself. The trees were sparse on the outskirts but even those caused the Grimm to slow in its path. Further in, along the routes he liked to jog, the woods were thicker. Denser.

Moisture on the air drew him towards a pond in the centre. He turned to the left, ducking low as a claw swiped overhead. One hand on a tree trunk, he pushed on and held his arms before him, bursting through thick brush and into a small clearing beside a pond with two benches beside it. There was a single old man there throwing bread into the water.

Jaune tore out his machete and brandished it before the old timer. "Get going or I'll kill you!"

The elderly man leapt to his feet, cried out and fled with haste belying his years, throwing his wallet behind him as a distraction. Jaune only had a second to feel guilty before something struck him from behind with the force of a truck. He was thrown forward, crashing down into the lake and sending fish scattering in every direction. Through the water, the hazy shape of the Grimm shimmered as it lumbered forward, splashing down into a pond that was less than two metres at its deepest.

But it was still water. His Domain.

It rushed and swirled around him, coalescing into a whirling torrent that stopped the Grimm in its path. It lashed out and down, almost trying to dig through the water that frothed up and over it. It didn't understand, or couldn't, and that proved fatal. The water that had been frothing before it rushed up suddenly like a tsunami, crashing down and onto the beast and carrying it into the water.

Currents that came from nowhere swept it down and held it there, while water rushed in from every angle, pushing through its nose and mouth and into its body. The beast didn't suffocate, however, even after two minutes of that.

 _It's not real, is it? In our world, it's just a soul. Like when ours is in theirs. It doesn't need to breathe._

That was why guns were so useless against them – no organs to shoot. Sure, bigger guns would tear off chunks as good as a cleaver ever would but smuggling an M60 under one's coat wasn't exactly subtle. Drawing out his machete, Jaune urged the current to bring him closer, and to hold it down flat.

It fought against him. Its muscles were powerful – or whatever it had instead of muscles, soul-juice maybe. Jaune had to struggle past that and bring himself over its chest, where he raised and brought his machete down. Swinging through water was as slow as one might imagine, but when you could control it, there were ways around it. Starting by surging water behind the blade to make it swing faster, he soon shifted to making water _part_ before it, creating what was as close to a vacuum as he reasonably could. It dragged the blade down, helping it bite into flesh.

Down and down, he hacked, slicing away like a Hollywood slasher going at a cheerleader. Water bubbled and thrashed above him and his hand, and the machete, would leave the water occasionally, then come splashing back down to carve into its neck.

Sever the head and the thing would die? Zombie logic seemed more than enough for now.

Its claws buffeted him as he worked, but much like him, it couldn't generate much force underwater and it was like a someone swimming into you by accident, enough to distract him but little more. He worked the machete up and down, again and again, until the beast began to slow and tire. Even then, he kept at it, not stopping until he'd worked through the last bit of gristle and flesh. The snarling, lupine, head fell to the side, pushed to the bottom of the pond by the raging current.

Moments later, the body began to break down into motes of black dust, wafting away unnaturally – against the current, no less – and vanishing a few seconds later. Until it was only him and his machete stuck on the bottom, avoided by all the fish.

 _I did it. I… I actually did it. And without making anyone Awaken._

He'd done what Ruby had for him, what Yang had for others. Pride welled up inside him but was doused quickly as the situation with the police and Cinder came crashing back down. Pushing off the bottom of the pond, he surged up to the surface and broke through, thumbing his scarf. There was no one around and he left it down, trudging to the shallows and then up onto the bank.

Exhausted, both physically and emotionally, he collapsed into the wooden bench by the pond. He even tossed some of the bread the old man had left into the water.

The fish weren't biting.

/-/

It was a thoroughly exhausted and bedraggled Jaune that made his way into the abandoned house of Ruby's parents. Vines and flowers had begun to take it again, a remnant, perhaps, of her power, for he knew she wasn't inside. Her smell wasn't there. He let himself in by pushing through the plant life and standing in the foyer, then making his way up the creaky stairs, if only so that he'd have warning if anyone – or anything – entered behind.

He hadn't come across any more Grimm since the one in the park. Plenty of police, though. They were out in force and all making their way toward the Reservoir. Without his scroll and with the house understandably lacking a working computer or TV, he had no way to know what was going on or if Beacon had been found and taken.

What was he going to do if it had been? If Ozpin and the others were captured, soon to be killed by Grimm while unable to defend themselves? Was he supposed to save them? Storm the police department and fight against armed men and women of the law?

That was what Cinder probably wanted.

A powerful smell hit his nostrils. His muscles tensed, then relaxed in a heavy sigh.

Flowers. Rotting flowers.

He could pick out Ruby's actions – how she, too, paused, scenting him. How she continued after, content with who she'd found and happy enough to enter the house. The dead vines beneath him grew, sprouting bright flowers that reached up and then wilted, curling and dying around me in a matter of seconds.

With a creak, Ruby made her way up the stairs and to the room he was in.

"Ruby, I'm glad you're-"

Blood. Blood all over her.

"God, Ruby. Are you hurt-? Did they shoot you?"

"I'm unharmed. This isn't mine."

That didn't do as much for his nerves as he might have liked. Ruby looked like she'd come walking out an abattoir. "Then whose is it?"

"An officer's." She grimaced and then quickly said, "And no, I wasn't the one who killed him." She made her way over and slumped down beside me, drawing her knees up to her chest. "They were persistent. Too persistent. Ran me straight into some Grimm, and then saw it."

"Awakened? Just like that?"

"The timing was almost too convenient," she agreed. "Someone knew she was about to Awaken and sent her after me. When she saw it…" Ruby shook her head. "I ran in to try and kill it, but she panicked and shot at me instead. I had to dodge. By the time I got back on track, it was too late. Stupid," Ruby hissed. "Why would you shoot the person with _that thing_ coming at you?"

I grimaced. "The officer died, then?"

"Her throat torn out." Ruby made a slit-throat motion. "I tried to save her. It's why I'm covered in so much blood. I thought I could staunch the bleeding but… I might have made it worse."

"It gets worse?"

"It does when someone finds you over the body of a dead policewoman trying to stop her bleeding to death. They couldn't see the dead monster, so all they saw was me, her dying and my scythe, which just so happened to be covered in blood."

It didn't take a genius to figure out what that looked like. "Shit."

"Yep. There goes any hope of convincing people we're on the good side." Ruby sank down. "Go me."

"You didn't-"

"I _did_ mess up, Jaune," she said. "Please don't try and sugar-coat this. I'm wanted for murder."

"Did they see your face?"

"No. Thankfully. But it doesn't really matter. They'll be hunting for someone that matches my description. That's going to make life pretty difficult, especially when they find out there was a girl who signed up to stay at a certain apartment block, like, one or two days before it was burned down by terrorists. Terrorists she's allegedly a part of."

"Shit. That's bad. And Ozpin signed for you. Wait, do you know what's happening at the Beacon!?"

"Hm?"

"My phone died. I can't check the news at all."

"Oh." Ruby drew out hers and flicked through to a news page which was being updated real-time. "Terrorist attacks, sightings, murder." She grimaced. "Two people resisting arrest and… oh, shit."

"What!?"

"Ten arrested so far. Two killed."

"Kill-!? Why would the police shoot them!?"

"Think about it," Ruby said. "They come across a madman waving a cleaver around and ignoring all efforts by the police to calm them down. The man won't listen to them and keeps making aggressive gestures. Suddenly, he lunges."

"And is shot. Fuck."

The Hunters couldn't _not fight_ or they'd due, but they couldn't surrender to the police either or the Grimm would cut them down right there, and the police would all see someone spontaneously torn to pieces in front of them. Instant Awakening risk.

"What's going to happen to those arrested?"

"They'll be kept in cells for certain. They'll likely die there due to `suicides`." Ruby made air quotes with one hand. "I don't see Ozpin on the list or any mention of the Beacon. And I don't think anyone would give the others away. Ozpin is going to be furious."

"I'm furious," Jaune hissed. "I smelled Cinder. She's among the cops."

Ruby's head jerked to his. "One of her agents?"

"No. Her. The stench was too strong to be anything else. She's walking among the police force right now."

"Damn it." Ruby cursed and put her phone away. "That's bad. Real bad. We can't kill her or we confirm everything and the whole country will be up in arms. But if we let her go free, she can do whatever she wants."

"She knows my name," he said. "And where my family live."

"She doesn't know where Ozpin is," Ruby said. "If she did, we'd have faced a raid before we could do anything. Ugh." Ruby gripped her head. "I don't know what to do. She's outmanoeuvring us at every turn. I – I have to stay here," she decided. "I can't go back to Beacon. It's too risky if someone sees me there. I'll talk to Ozpin and explain it."

"What about me?"

"I don't know, Jaune. You have to go to school, people will notice if you don't, but you'll almost certainly be followed afterwards. Maybe you shouldn't go back to the Beacon either."

"Then I'm essentially homeless."

"You could stay here?"

"I appreciate the offer, but your house is lacking a few amenities. Like, all the amenities. Running water among them. I can't bunk with friends, either. Even if Nora's parents would allow it, I'd be drawing Cinder to her."

"The mall?" Ruby suggested. At his look, she expanded. "It's where most homeless people sleep."

"I… was kinda hoping for a suggestion that _didn't_ leave me homeless."

Ruby shrugged apologetically. To be fair, she was distracted enough as it was with what had just happened, so he let it go. He needed a new phone, a new home and, possibly, some way of staying hidden from Cinder. All of those were going to be difficult when she could just point the police at him with some excuse of having found some evidence, then have him followed.

He wasn't strong here like he was in the Grimm world. Cinder had chosen to strike at him where he was weakest, as befitted her. If he had Leviathan's body, he could just crush all opposition before him and do as he wished. None could enter his Domain.

Jaune groaned.

"What is it?" Ruby asked.

"I think I've figured out where I'm going to be staying from now on."

/-/

To put it lightly, the sewers under Vale stank. They stank really bad. The water was still water and he could control it, but there was no denying it was contaminated and horrid, even where he was on an outlet, where the water was `apparently` clean enough to re-enter the water system.

He called bullshit on that. American propaganda. Even if it looked clean, his Grimm nose, not to mention his power, told him otherwise. There were traces of feces in that water.

Big traces.

"It's… homely," Ruby said helplessly, also squeakily with her fingers pinching her nose.

"It's bad, I know." Jaune sighed. "But it leads straight out into the reservoir, so I'll be safe at any time and able to escape. The smell is also bad enough to mask mine, and the fact I'm surrounded by water will mask it further."

"There is that," Ruby allowed. "I hope you don't expect me to join you."

"No. I'm not that cruel."

There were other benefits to living in the sewer, none of them hygienic or particularly pleasant. He could access it from just about anywhere, travel under the city if he had to and even lose any followers by jumping into the reservoir and using the currents to bring him to the pipe he'd clambered in through. Given that Beacon was out on the waterfront, he'd even be able to check in with Ozpin without leading anyone there. The only way someone could follow him was to be in the water with him, and he'd sense them the moment they tried.

A quick freak current and they'd be swept far away and safely thrown onto a bank.

"I need a phone to use – maybe multiple to avoid trouble – and also a watertight container for them. Some camping supplies, too."

"Air freshener," Ruby opined.

"And air fresher, yes. Other than that, it's… well, it's shit. But it's home."

"And this is better than the mall how?"

"It's safer. Cinder won't dare challenge me in my Domain."

"All hail Jaune, Lord of Poop. Long and nuggety shall he reign."

"Ass." Jaune sat on the dry – relatively so – patch of stone that marked the walkway beside the flow of water. It had been installed in the event of maintenance, though it didn't look like there had been much to speak of. "At least I can bring a gas stove down here and cook food. Your place is a fire hazard waiting to happen."

"Hm." Ruby sat with a wince. "This doesn't solve the big problem, though. You have school."

Jaune grimaced. "Yeah…"

"The police are going to be there. She'll find a reason. Or make one up."

"I know."

"She's coming for you, Jaune. It's _you_ she fears. Or more specifically, Leviathan."

"Yeah."

"So…?"

"I don't know, Ruby. I don't know. But if she threatens my family…" His hand closed into a fist. "I'll do what I have to."

Ruby's phone beeped and she pulled it out and read the message. "Ozpin is calling a meeting," she said. "Two hours from now. There are people calling for us to storm the police station and to hell with what that ends up with us doing. People have friends and family members in those cells." Ruby closed her eyes. "If it were Yang, I'd be there right now, cutting through whoever dared get in my path."

They both knew what that meant, and what the end result would be. A bloodbath.

But if Ozpin chose to do nothing, to let those captured be kept until the Grimm killed them, he'd lose the support of many among the hunters, and risk fracturing everything he and they had worked for. Lose if he did, lose if he didn't.

Cinder had been busy.

"Tell him we'll be there," Jaune said. "And that we'll support him, whatever he decides."

* * *

 **Lord of Poop.**

 **Cinder is back, again, like a bad rash. Except this time she's infiltrated the police. She's like a recurring boss in some twisted game. The one that keeps escaping through increasingly stupid means.**

 **Actually, I'm now imagining her as Napoleon Bonaparte from Resident Evil 4.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 9** **th** **June**

 **P a treon . com (clash) Coeur**


	36. Chapter 36

**So, in the event people didn't notice or had problems, last week's chapter was updated on Monday, but the link people got in their emails didn't work. That's because I had to delete the "delay note" which invalidated the link, because chapter 36 then became chapter 35.**

 **The previous chapter IS last week's chapter, so if you missed it then you may need to go back and read it if you haven't already. Sorry for the trouble but the ISP died massively. It's still bad now, but the difference is that it's "can barely watch videos bad" whereas last week it was "cannot even access internet bad".**

 **So hey, that's an improvement.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 36**

* * *

"The police are using an extension of Terry's Law as defined in Terry V. Ohio," Ozpin explained to the assembled hunters in the Beacon. "This allows for a stop and search provided the officers have reasonable suspicion as to criminal behaviour. Unfortunately, several of our associates were engaged with Grimm at the moments they were stopped – and their combat was taken as aggressive action toward the police, who feared for their lives. Those searched have been arrested for carrying concealed weapons."

"That's bullshit!" someone yelled. "It doesn't work like that, and some of ours have been arrested just for walking down the docks. The law specifically states they can't count `reasonable suspicion` as being located in a certain area. That's discrimination."

"You're welcome to go down to the station and argue that. See how far it gets you."

Silence greeted Ozpin, people grimacing and looking down at the floor. Jaune and Ruby were sat with Weiss far at the back, listening in but not having the same emotional attachment as the others, who doubtless had close friends or even family now in custody.

"The truth of the matter, ladies and gentlemen, is that laws do not exist in an infallible state. While the police _shouldn't_ stop people without due suspicion or an adherence to the law, they also shouldn't pull over more black people than white, nor shoot unarmed citizens or use unjustified force on peacefully protesting students. Laws and safeguards exist in an _attempt_ to keep our civilisation civil. If they worked one hundred per cent of the time, we would not have thieves, rapists and murderers."

It was something his father had said about the military once, how ninety-nine per cent of serving men and women followed the discipline and standards expected of them, but that in any engagement, almost every engagement, there would be one who did not. War crimes did happen, and all the military could do was do their best to stop them where they could.

Come to think of it, the female officer had been frustrated at her colleague when he tried to speak to them casually – probably because she'd wanted to do things officially and her partner was making mistakes. It had cost her dearly, seeing as she was dead now.

"The police in Vale are as human as anyone else," Ozpin continued. "They are capable of making mistakes, and of being influenced by emotions even when they should not be. We have been blamed for attacks killing hundreds of innocent people and emotions are running raw. I'd not be surprised if a fair few of our casualties came from police who were a little too eager to use lethal force."

"That's illegal!" the same person from before complained.

"Yes. Yes, it is. But I can assure you now that those officers, placed on administrative leave or not, are being hailed as heroes. Even were they convicted, you could rest assured the President would pardon them."

A wave of angry protests and grumbling threats echoed about the main room, though there was no one who argued with Ozpin's words. They'd all seen it before with extremism in the past and people's reactions to it. Fear and panic led to overreaction and people treating fellow Americans like animals or worse.

Like it or not, Vale and the US couldn't see the war they were engaged in. All they knew was that a bunch of crazy fanatics were running around waving swords and knives around, shooting off shotguns and handguns in crowded streets. Even if one of them did talk, the police would assume ravings of Grimm monsters to be drug-addled madness. They'd be labelled as narcs, with the Hunters being some gang. Given the current climate, they'd be called a gang straight of out Mexico, because _of course_ they were from Mexico. Couldn't be good and proper Americans behind this.

"We will need to take care in the coming days. As loathe as I am to admit it, it might be better to allow Grimm to wander the streets unchecked."

"People will Awaken. It'll be a massacre!"

"It's going to be a massacre if we send our own out, and if our numbers continue to fall then it will only get worse and worse, until we cannot hold back a Nightmare." Ozpin stood from his counter, slamming one hand on the woodwork for silence as people began to speak out. "We must make the decision that gives humanity the best chance of survival! That means the _whole_ of humanity."

"You're sayin' we should let people die to cover ourselves!"

Ozpin sighed. "I am."

"We swore to protect people!"

"We did," Ozpin agreed, "And I do not wish to say that our lives are worth more than the average persons, but in the battle against an unseen foe, that is simply the case. Vale needs hunters. If it does not have them, it will fall to a Nightmare and be consumed."

"Then we need to break our captured brothers out!"

"No!" Ozpin snapped. "Assaulting the police would be the _worst_ thing we can do right now!"

Doing so would surely confirm in the eyes of everyone that they were terrorists, the kind of terrorists that required the military to come and stamp them out. The FBI were probably already investigating – or the CIA if they convinced themselves the hunters were international. Stop and searches were bad enough, but if they attacked and killed police officers, it would be so much worse.

Of course, suggesting that the captured be left behind only made Ozpin look the monster. When he had no immediate answer, people rose up and began to shout insults, while others called for the hunters to band together and storm the station during the day, when the Grimm were weakest.

Ozpin remained silent throughout, either not knowing what to say or knowing that anything he did say would be hopeless. Jaune watched with a nervous expression, hoping that someone wiser would speak up to quell the rage of the hunters. No one did, and he began to think it should be him – for all that no one would listen to him.

Weiss was busy frowning and Jaune didn't know her well enough to have a glimpse at her thoughts. Whether she was angry at the crowd or at the police themselves. Ruby was far easier to read, frustration mixed with annoyance, almost all of it at the fact that Cinder's actions had yet again put them off the search for her and their quest to avenge Yang.

"We can't just leave them! The Grimm will slaughter them!"

"Then we deal with the Grimm," someone said. Jaune was surprised to find it was _him_. All eyes turned on him and he fell back under them. The hunters were angry, furious, and as much as he told himself they weren't angry at _him_ , he still shrunk back.

Luckily, Weiss spoke up. "Jaune is correct. As is Ozpin and as are all of you. We cannot leave our fellow hunters behind, but if we attack the station then we confirm all that the people fear. Worse, we do the Grimm's work for them. Our best bet is to attack and liberate our colleagues once they are transported out of Vale. This, we can do without endangering innocents."

Vale didn't have a prison. Being such a new city, there hadn't been enough crime to require one and not enough of a population to be a burden on nearby penitentiaries. Prisoners would, Jaune assumed, be transported out by vehicles to nearby prisons.

"That's all well and good if they get transported out, but the Grimm might kill them while they're incarcerated," someone said, not angrily but more pointing out the flaw. "We'd need to guard the police stations."

"That means getting close and getting arrested," another said. "It'd never work."

"Would they expect it, though? I mean, it's ballsy for us to go right to them…"

"Ha. That kind of `so crazy it just might work` bullshit only works in Hollywood. You can best your ass they're expecting us to try and break out our friends. Especially after we apparently firebombed a hospital. They'll have more security active now than they have for the last ten years combined."

"Do we have any Awakened among the police?" Weiss asked Ozpin.

"I'm afraid not. The roles are somewhat incompatible and our last member among them was discharged for drawing a gun and shooting at a civilian. Naturally, no one could see the Grimm _behind_ said civilian that he killed. He was almost convicted himself for that and was ultimately discharged. It was quite the scandal." Ozpin sighed. "He fell two years ago to a Nightmare."

Looking over the crowd, Ozpin continued, "I would support an attack on a prisoner transport assuming we moved to minimise casualties. It is not that I wish to leave our comrades behind and more than I desire to avoid bloodshed. Though as our colleague says, it will be a risky proposition, watching the station."

"Only during the night," another person said. "Grimm won't show in the day. We have until tomorrow evening to decide who-"

"Jaune and I will go," Ruby interrupted.

"We will?" Jaune asked quietly.

"Cinder," Ruby explained, and that was all she needed to say. Louder and to the others, she added, "I'm already wanted because they think I killed someone, so I'm not afraid to risk myself more. Jaune has…" Ruby thought for an excuse that didn't involve Grimm powers. Not everyone knew. "Jaune's first aid will be useful if anything goes wrong. And we're teenagers, so we're not as threatening if they see us."

"An excellent suggestion," Ozpin said, eager to avoid any more bloodthirsty hunters being sent. "I will co-ordinate with them to watch out companions trapped in the station. Should any Grimm appear, they will be dealt with."

"And if the worst comes to pass?" someone asked. "If the Grimm get _into_ the cell block?"

"Then Jaune and I will enter and deal with them," Ruby said.

The conviction in her voice ended the discussion then and there.

/-/

Jaune cornered Ruby after, as they entered Ozpin's office with Weiss behind them. "What was that? I never offered to do this."

"Cinder will be there."

"Might be there," Jaune countered. "If she's in a human body, she has a cover to maintain. What's to say she won't be out on patrol like she was tonight?"

"The captured hunters. She'll want to kill them."

He wanted to argue against that, saying how Cinder needed to keep her cover, but if she really had access to an almost limitless number of hosts, then what did one less matter? He grumbled and sat down.

"Miss Rose is not incorrect. Our situation is a tenuous one, as Cinder no doubt designed it. Act and we expose ourselves, fail to act and the hunters fall apart. Never before have we faced a Grimm with such intelligence. I find myself wondering if this is evolution among them, a natural progression to our defeating them time and time again."

"There have always been Grimm like her," Ruby said with a shake of her head. "We just normally don't like risking ourselves. We're smart enough to let the mindless ones tire our prey out first."

"Troubling words, Miss Rose."

"The whole situation is `troubling`, Ozpin," Weiss said. "I was going to speak with Blake tonight. My body in that world is recovered enough to move around, and now that I have the Lord of Light's powers, I'm not sure Blake would dare try kill me. She might know something."

"Maybe," Jaune said, doubting it. "Just be careful not to let her convince you to give her a body. I'm still more worried about Ruby's plan, and whether I'll even make it there. I have school tomorrow and Cinder knows where."

"Skip," Ruby suggested.

"After an event like last night?" he asked. "I might as well staple `suspicious` to my forehead and dance round town naked. They'll call my parents. I don't want them involved."

"Go to school," Ozpin said. "If the police come, make a fuss and demand to see evidence of why they want to speak with you. Frame it as young anger against what you see as a defiance of your rights." He chuckled. "Everyone is so busy complaining about millennials that they'll label you as one soon enough."

"Will that be enough to keep me safe?"

"I should think so. The only reason Cinder knows of you is because of what she is and who she formerly possessed. While she can point the police in your direction, she cannot make them act on that without some evidence of a crime. While I'm sure she could concoct something given enough time, it's not as though she can explain to her superiors that she `just knows` you're bad. The worst they can do is keep an eye on or investigate you. Or ask around Eastfield."

Nora was the only person there who knew what he was, and he was sure she'd keep his secret. Other than that? There shouldn't be anything too bad to raise suspicion. His suspension with Cardin would come up and they might try to use that to say he was violent, but what could they do about it? Miss Goodwitch had already punished them both.

A schoolyard scrap was hardly a matter for the police.

"And Ruby?"

"I don't have anyone to care about," she said. "I'll be in hiding. If anyone asks, you never knew me."

"Is that a good idea?"

"One of us has to stay out of the way to react if Cinder makes a move," she said. "You go back to your kingdom, oh lord of the sewers."

With a sigh, Jaune turned to leave.

Ozpin stopped him before he did. "Wait a moment. I'll have a sleeping bag for you, along with some food that will last until breakfast."

At least someone cared.

/-/

Weiss looked down at her perfectly human hands and flexed her fingers, testing them in the warmth of the sunlight. Her fingers curled and closed as they normally would have, but there was a hint of tension, a tiny fragment of wrongness that she couldn't quite place.

It wasn't the fact she was flying, that was normal.

"Does my body in this world want to be in my Grimm form?"

She hadn't had much time to experiment in truth. From the moment Jaune and Ruby helped her slay the beast, she'd come back to recover, then the police were on them and it was all she could do to help Ozpin try to direct people out of danger. They'd worked over a map of Vale, triangulating and identifying where people could hide while Velvet translated police signals from a police radio they had somehow patched in.

That wasn't a new addition, Velvet told her. It was a useful tool for the hunters to learn where `unusual disturbances` were taking place. Those were to be investigated as best the hunters could and Ozpin would normally have sent people out.

All of those things, she had to learn if she was to take over when Ozpin was gone.

 _Funny that I hated father for always assuming I'd follow in his footsteps, but I'm fine with Ozpin doing the same._

Context, mostly. Ozpin was trying to save the world. Jacques just wanted to be remembered as a powerful man. They were as alike as the sun and moon. Besides, Jacques would never have allowed her any degree of freedom. It was a sign of how little he cared that he hadn't once thought to contact her since he sent her here, or that he – or anyone from her home – had noticed she was missing at all.

Weiss allowed herself to fall toward the ocean but not into it. Knowing a little more now about what a Domain was, she didn't want to disturb Jaune if he was sleeping by diving bodily into his. Instead, she floated across the top toward the shore, only landing down once she was halfway up the beach. An itching sensation beneath her skin hinted at her true form – Grimm, anyway – wanting to come free. Was that feathers trying to burst through? Weiss shuddered and scratched her arm.

 _Stay in human form,_ she ordered her body. _Blake isn't going to be happy if I crush her forest._

There was an almost tangible feeling of crossing a line as Weiss approached the forest's edge, like she'd stepped over the boundary of one country into another – except it was a border only in her head. The scent of fresh pine and rainwater caught her nose, and then she could smell Blake approaching. There was no doubt it was her in Weiss' mind, even before the large black feline appeared.

She might have called it a jaguar, except… the shape was wrong. Subtly off in a way she couldn't quite identify. The not-quite-jaguar regarded her with its head tilted to the side, then began to chuff quietly.

It took Weiss a second to realise that was laughter.

"Well, well, well," the cat said in a voice gravellier than Blake's human one. "It has been a while, Weiss. I can't say I expected to see you here."

"Nor I," she replied. "May I enter your Domain? Forgive me if I'm unaware of some social more."

"Social rules-"

"Exist in human definition, yes, but I would still not offend you if I might help it."

Blake's lips peeled back into what Weiss assumed was a snarl at first, but quickly realised was the closest the feline could manage to a smile. "That's a generous gesture. You're welcome to enter, for what it's worth. Adam is out patrolling the eastern border; something has encroached on us."

"My presence here doesn't bother you?" Weiss asked. "Jaune and Ruby said you weren't always so hospitable."

"Ruby-? The Reaper?" Blake's ears fell flat. "Her presence causes death in all she touches. My Domain buckled and died under her presence." There was a note of both fear and anger there. "Yours is as sunlight on a warm day. You do not destroy and so you are welcome."

A logical explanation. Weiss hid her smile, wondering how Blake might bristle if she pointed out the human logic behind Blake's actions. Before, Jaune and Ruby had warned her against approaching Blake, saying she might surely kill her and take her body.

Weiss did not doubt that, even as she followed Blake deeper into her glade. Everyone was out for themselves and it only made sense that Blake's helping of her in Vale had been self-serving. It put Blake on a level Weiss could understand, and once you understood someone you could predict their decisions. Blake would have killed her once but would not dare now.

Simply put, Weiss was a bigger Grimm.

"How goes life in the human world?" Blake asked.

Weiss told her. Recounting the recent events and the movement by the police, instigated by Cinder. Fortunately, Blake had lived long enough a human to understand the nuances and words used, and what it meant for the hunters. Weiss finished by explaining Jaune and Ruby's plan to watch the police station, to which Blake predictably scoffed.

"That is a trap if I've ever seen one. Cinder will be watching and waiting."

"I know. I think they do as well, but they can't leave those hunters behind. It's not about doing the right thing. It's about keeping morale up for the others."

"A fault of human nature. Would that you could simply show your dominance and control them."

There were some leaders who did, though most relief on employment and the treat of job insecurity to do that. The hunters were a voluntary force, really more of a militia or vigilante group.

"Cinder is keeping Jaune and Ruby busy in the human world to protect herself here," Weiss said. "If this continues, I'm not sure the boundary will stay standing. Isn't there any way you can help us from this end?"

"Should I?" Blake asked. "If the boundary falls, I can reclaim a human body once more."

"You wouldn't have much to use it for, seeing as how our world would be turned into a similar state as this one. What's the point of taking human form if it's not different? It would be better for you to keep our worlds separate. At least then, if a human ever strays here and you kill them, you'll get to experience something new and exciting."

Blake chuffed again, shoulders shaking.

"You're better at this than Jaune. He would just shout at me about doing the right thing."

Weiss shrugged. "You're not an idiot and neither am I. It's easier to bargain with you."

"And what?" Blake asked, "Do you have that I would desire?"

"How about a way into our world?"

Blake stilled. "The only way is for us to take over humans…"

"I'm aware."

"Are you-?" Her eyes narrowed. "Jaune would never allow it."

"Jaune is not me, nor is he the leader of the hunters." Weiss sighed. "I cannot promise anything, but it might not be hard to find people who are essentially braindead. I presume that wouldn't matter, since you would replace their minds?"

"I suppose." Blake mulled the concept. "As long as it was not a physical sickness which caused it, we should be fine. At the worst, it wouldn't work, and we could leave those bodies behind. But the souls would still be devoured, you realise."

"Yes. I'm not saying I am comfortable with the idea. However, when the alternative might well be the end of the human race, I am willing to consider such tactics. I will have to talk with Ozpin, of course, and I would ask you to keep this from Jaune or Ruby."

"Understandable. I'll be interested in seeing what is decided." Blake sat on her hind and ran a paw over her face, patting some fur flat. "I assume, then, that the condition for you aiding us in this way is that we aid you against this Cinder."

"Correct. Before, you once said that you aided humanity because you had something to lose should our world be destroyed."

"My freedom and the experiences granted by having a human body."

"Indeed." Weiss smiled. "I'm simply offering you those temptations again."

"Ha." Blake chuffed once more. "Well, you have yourself a deal. I'll see what Adam and I can do and report back to you once we have something. I hate to be a bother, but we would _prefer_ a male and female body respectively. For… reasons."

"I'm sure I know what those are, thank you."

Blake chuffed loudly.

"There is one other thing, however." Weiss said it simply, as though she'd remembered some small thing. "Obviously, you would need to follow conditions for existing in our world. Consider it a set of house rules. If we're going to be sharing the same world, you could stand to follow them."

"Adam won't like that."

"He will learn to like it," Weiss said.

Blake's eyes narrowed. "I do not like your tone, Weiss. Be wary."

"No, Blake, it is you who should be wary. I have made my offer and it is a generous one, but I do think it's important to set the conditions of the contract." Weiss sighed, almost frustrated that her father's lessons were coming back in such a way. "The benefits to you are obvious, as is what we want from you in terms of finding Cinder, but in order to avoid any… complications, I feel it might be prudent to fully explain just why you should obey the rules I grant."

"And those reasons are?"

"Just one." Weiss smiled. "And that is that if you break the rules, I shall destroy you."

Blake's paws dug down into the grass.

The sun beat down on her in turn, shining so bright Blake shied back.

"The sun can end life as easily as it supports it. It would not be difficult for me to hunt you and kill both you and Adam in either world, or to burn your Domain to the ground and turn it into a barren desert where no life grows." Weiss let go and the searing heat diminished, replaced once more with a warm spring day. "Keep that in mind, Blake. I can be a kind and powerful ally or a terrible foe. The choice is yours."

"What happened to dealing in good faith?"

"Why, Blake…" Weiss adopted a shocked tone. "Those are human terms for human worlds. Didn't you tell me earlier that life is so much easier if you just force your allies into submission? I do so respect you, after all, so I thought to take your advice to heart."

The feline watched her for a moment, considering and tense. The distance between them was short and they were in Blake's Domain, and yet for the Grimm Weiss had become, and the Domain she claimed as her own, fighting her was an almost impossible task. And in the end, the offer Weiss had made was too good for Blake to turn down.

She chuffed once more. "I always knew you were a dangerous one," Blake said. "You have yourself a deal, on both my and Adam's parts. I'll keep him in line."

"I'm glad to see we could reach an agreement."

/-/

Pyrrha Nikos wiped the sweat from her brow as she pushed into her home and let the wet towel hang off her shoulders. "I'm home!" she called.

"Welcome back," a voice came from the kitchen. Pyrrha walked through to find her mother preparing a lunchbox for tomorrow morning for her father. "How was your jog, Pyrrha? Nothing bad happen?"

"I stuck to the safer parts of town. As promised."

"Thank you, sweetheart." Athena Nikos leaned over to kiss her forehead. "I'm sorry to get in the way, I know you love your freedom, but with things as they are, it's just not safe to be jogging around the waterfront anymore."

"I know. I've seen the news as well. And dad-" Pyrrha cut off as she noticed the empty plate on the table. "Is dad home?"

"He's in his office." Athena looked toward the corridor with an odd expression. "He seemed distracted. Didn't even stop for a kiss." She laughed good naturedly. "I suppose all these problems have him on edge; it must be hard for him, especially to keep work out of the home."

"Yes." Pyrrha smiled weakly. "I guess it would be."

"Is this about his promise, dear?" Athena hugged her tight. "I know he said he'd take you to those try-outs, Pyrrha, but I think that was before terrorists struck Vale. I'm sure he hasn't forgotten, just that he has other things to focus on."

"I know, mom. I…" Pyrrha sighed. "I understand. Dad's work protects people's lives."

Athena ruffled her hair. "But that doesn't mean you're not disappointed. Don't worry, there's nothing wrong with being a little selfish every now and then. Tell you what, if he can't, I'll see if I can find someone else who can. I know it's not what you want, but you know he would move heaven and earth to come watch you compete if he could."

Pyrrha nodded, looking briefly to the numerous family photos that covered the kitchen wall. Many of them were of her mother and father, Athena and Alexander, including images of their wedding, but there were also far more of her with them.

On one stretch in particular, images showing her father proudly kneeling – and standing as she grew taller – behind her as she posed in various sports outfits. They depicted her rise in the athletics circuits, and her father's immense pride. Even as he grew older and more weathered, the smile remained the same from picture to picture, a huge grin that split his face in two, showing teeth.

If he'd been physically able to get time off, he would have. She knew that. She managed a smile for her mother's sake and told herself it would be okay. Maybe their uncle could take her, or her older sister, Helena, who had moved out years ago.

"I'm going to get some homework done," Pyrrha said.

"What? I thought you said you had your homework done _before_ your jog."

"Ah- W-Well, this is homework in advance." Her mother fixed her with a stern frown and Pyrrha's will buckled. "I'll get it done," she mumbled. "It's not hard."

"Well then, it's not hard enough to do _before_ your jog tomorrow."

"Yes, mom."

"Good." Athena hugged her again. "Run along now and try not to bother your father. He's awfully busy."

Nodding, she made her way up the stairs and to her room, shrugging off her trainers as she did and running her fingers through her hair. There would be time for a shower before homework, then bed. If she were being honest with herself, she was looking more forward to school tomorrow than she had for a while, and not for a reason she'd have first thought.

Her cheeks burned a little as a pair of bright blue eyes appeared in her mind. She shook the thoughts away and tried not to feel any stupider than she did already. As she made her way to her room, a door at the end of the corridor opened and her father stepped out. Approaching fifty, he normally wore his greying hair slicked back, but of late had let it fall messily wherever it wished to.

He paused upon seeing her and reached up to take a cigarette from his mouth. "Pyrrha."

Pyrrha. He used to call her daughter. Or `my little girl`. She'd hated that, but strangely found she missed it of late. "Dad," she said. "I didn't realise you smoked…"

"A new habit," he said eloquently, a slow smirk spreading across his features. "Don't tell your mother."

She tried to laugh. "Are you working tonight?"

"Case work." He nodded behind him, to the now closed door. "These hunters need to be stopped and there is plenty of evidence to work through. Don't worry, though. I'm confident we'll have them dealt with within the month."

Her eyes lit up. Her big try-outs were the month after. "Does that mean-?"

"Hm?" Her father looked at her oddly. "Does that mean _what_?"

"You know. Your promise…"

"My promise…?"

Her smile fell. "I… The try-outs. You promised you would take me."

"Did I?" His eyes narrowed. A moment later, he sighed. "I'll have someone else take you. That should be good enough. If you'll excuse me, I need to head back to the station."

"Oh." Pyrrha tried not to sound too hurt; it wasn't his fault the city had turned on its head. "Good luck, dad. Love you."

"I love you too, Pyrrha." He chuckled as he walked by. "Sweet dreams."

The second he was gone, Pyrrha shivered.

The house felt colder all of a sudden.

* * *

 **Uh-oh. Well, not exactly subtle on the end there. Like, at all. Negative ten subtlety.**

 **Pyrrha's father is Santa!**

 **Ahem. Yes, well…**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 16** **th** **June**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	37. Chapter 37

**Happy Father's Day to any who are fathers among you!**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 37**

* * *

For the city as a whole, it was business as usual. People made their ways to work, life continued, and Vale bustled as any city would. There might have been something to say there about people's resilience and how they could carry on even in the face of tragedy, but Jaune wasn't sure that was the truth. More a pretty lie people told themselves to feel better.

The truth was that they didn't care so long as it didn't affect them. For those who had lost loved ones, life did not carry on as normal. It was twisted and horrible, wrong in a way that no amount of time would ever fix. Those that went on as normal weren't brave or courageous for doing so, they were selfish and blissful in their ignorance, ignoring a problem that to them didn't exist and calling such apathy a flowery name to make themselves feel better about it.

Then again, when did people not? It seemed easier now to look at them as a whole and realise just how twisted things were. When the hurricane struck and people died, there was a brief moment of sympathy and then a focus on ignoring it. People praised the `tenacity` of those who survived and rebuilt, as if to demonise those who had lost more and were in grieving, favouring the people who had been fortunate. It was easy to move on when you didn't have to leave something behind. There was no courage in that.

For the deaths that had occurred in Vale the night past, all that remained in the morning were a few news articles in the paper and a segment on the morning news. People would read or watch it, tut about how horrible it was and then move on uncaringly, as if it had happened a thousand miles away and not in their very home city.

 _Is it because I am part Grimm that I can look on humanity like this?_

Probably not. He was just in the know, and that made it easier. Let him look in from the outside and see things everyone else missed. Realistically speaking, he'd been no better, hiding away from Cardin's bullying because it was easier for him, uncaring of how seeing him hurt might have affected Ren or Nora, or his family. He was no better – and perhaps his anger only came now because of how involved he was. Whatever the case, it dwindled away once he reached school, replaced by apprehension.

The police were at Eastfield.

He'd expected it, but there was still a bolt of panic the second he saw the police cars outside. The fact there were only two calmed him a little, but only a little. He kept his head down and tried not to look like he was doing so as he walked into class. He then had to do the same when he, and everyone else, were called into the assembly hall for the start of the day.

The police wanted to give an address to the students. Hidden among hundreds of students sat cross-legged on the floor, Jaune allowed himself to breathe easily again as the officer on stage went on about increased risk, accountability and the importance of them avoiding going out alone at night, and not talking or approaching any strangers if they did. Basic safety information that was being prioritised given the dangerous climate.

Lessons continued after, but people were called to meet with the police one on one throughout the day. Jaune kept waiting for what he was sure would be his turn, tapping his fingers nervously on his desk. Nora noticed and looked concerned, but Ren wrote it off easily enough. Everyone was on edge given the police presence.

He wasn't called before lunch or during – and quickly met up with Pyrrha for a jog around the training course. He didn't have the stomach for lunch, even if it was a nicely cooked and packed lunch by Oscar.

"So," he said, running alongside her. "Bit weird having the police here today, isn't it?"

He was fishing for information. With Pyrrha being the daughter of an officer, he hoped she might have something she'd be willing to share. To his relief, she did.

"I've had people asking me that all day." Pyrrha sighed. "It's not as bad as it looks. They're having to do speeches at _every_ school in Vale, not just Eastfield."

"Oh." Jaune tried not to sound too relieved. "Why is that?"

"Safety, mostly. A lot of parents are worried their kids will be hurt by the hunters, so the Mayor asked the police to do talks at all the schools."

"Ah. That makes sense."

"Hm. Dad has been really busy lately." Pyrrha let out a quiet sigh. "The whole city is going crazy over this. I just wish those hunters would have never shown up. Why do people like that have to exist?"

Jaune winced. "I don't know."

"Sorry, I shouldn't be getting angry at you. I'm just annoyed."

"Yeah, I understand. Must be tough with your dad having to be involved." He hated to ask more of her, but needed to know, "What about the interviews people are being called up to? Are there suspects in the school?"

"Um. I don't think so? I was called to one earlier as well."

"You?"

"Hm. It wasn't an arrest, though. It's a consensual interview."

"What's the difference?"

"An arrest requires the police to have reasonable suspicion the suspect is involved in criminal activity, as well as probable cause that they did something illegal. When you're being arrested, that's when they have to give a Miranda warning, which they aren't doing here, so it's not an arrest. With a consensual interview, they don't need to have any suspicion to talk to someone, but the citizen has the right to refuse to answer, and even to leave if they wish to. You're not even required to identify yourself to them."

Pyrrha trailed off as she realised he was staring at her. Her cheeks turned a dark shade of red.

"Dad is really big on people's rights. He made sure I always knew mine."

"Wow. I guess it pays to be a police officer's daughter."

"Sometimes," she agreed with a fond smile. "But don't worry about the police interview thing, they're just talking to anyone who has been absent recently. Even I was interviewed just for taking some time off school for a holiday."

"What kinds of things did they ask you?"

"If I'd noticed anything unusual lately, where I was when I was absent and if anything strange had been happening at school." Pyrrha shrugged. "Nothing too difficult. I'm not sure why dad had me questioned, though. He could have answered all those questions on my behalf if he wanted."

"Maybe he wanted to avoid suggestions of bias? Or clear your name early."

Pyrrha made a contemplative sound. "Huh. Maybe you're right." The thought cheered her up. "That sounds like something he'd do, actually. Dad always used to say how police officers need to be the most careful of all, and how it's easy to abuse your power without realising it. With great power comes great responsibility."

"He's a fan of Spiderman?"

"It came from other people first. I think Dad said it came from someone working under Winston Churchill in the early 1900's. But yeah, people know the comic more than they do history."

"You really respect your old man, huh?"

"I do," Pyrrha said, smiling widely. "He's been my inspiration for so long, and he's always supported me." The bell cut her off, signalling that there was only fifteen minutes of lunch left. "So soon?" Pyrrha asked, surprised and a little disappointed. "I thought-" Her eyes flicked to his and she looked away. "I – I guess we should get changed. Thanks for running with me. I enjoyed it."

"No problem. I had fun, too." Spying the changing rooms, he said, "Want to have a last race there?"

In answer, Pyrrha broke into a sprint.

/-/

It wasn't a big surprise when Jaune was called out of class by a teacher and brought to a small office to be greeted by two police officers. They smiled tiredly at him, showing a little wear after a whole day of interviews, and invited him to sit down.

Neither of them smelled of fire or ash, so they were clean. He couldn't tell if the lingering scents around them might have been Cinder or just cigarette smoke. Fortunately, he didn't recognise either of them as being the one he and Ruby had run from either. Jaune sat down on the seat offered and placed his hands in his lap.

 _I'm well within my rights to refuse to do this and walk away, but that's bound to look suspicious._

Instead, he asked in a small voice, "Am I in trouble…?"

"Do you think you should be?" one of them replied.

Leading question. That kind of thing would get someone told off in court, and his mother, a lawyer herself, would never let it stand. This wasn't court, though, and he knew from hearing his mother complain that some officers liked to try and provoke confessions.

"No. I'm just… I've never been called to the speak with the police before."

"We just have a few questions for you. Are you willing to answer them?"

Good of them to ask, but again, refusing only made him look suspicious. "Sure. I don't know how much I can help, but I'll do my best."

"Appreciated, son. You're Jaune Arc, yes? Your teacher provided us some basic information. Nothing she shouldn't have, I assure you. Your name and a brief overview of what you study. I'd just like to confirm you are Jaune Arc."

"I am."

"Do you live in Vale, Jaune?"

"I'm from Boston originally. My parents still live there, but I'm studying here in Vale."

"Wanted a little freedom?"

"More that I heard Eastfield High has a lot of really good graduate opportunities. The school is a lot better than any I would have gotten in Boston. For high schools, anyway. I also wanted to get away from some people from middle school."

All true. And, if they looked into it, they'd find plenty to support that.

"Get away? Do you mind if I ask why?"

"Bullying."

"Ah. I see."

"Not that it worked," Jaune said. "My bully actually followed me here."

"That's some bad luck there, son. Enjoying your time in Vale, then?"

"Well, I was…"

"Was? Something changed?"

"Uh. Yeah." Jaune pulled an odd expression. "I mean, I've been through two hurricanes, terrorist attacks and was nearly killed by a wild animal in the last two months alone. That's not exactly what I call a normal month."

"Animal attack?"

"Oh, you!" The other officer spoke up suddenly. "I remember. It was… maybe three weeks back? You came in after being attacked by some wolf." At Jaune's nod, the officer turned to his fellow. "I was working the desk at the time. Grisly job; I'll show you the case file later. Someone was killed in the park."

"Murdered?"

"No, animal attack." The officer glanced back to Jaune to make sure he wasn't stirring any unwelcome memories, then said, "There was no mistaking it. The claw and teeth marks matched a large wolf. Must have been a huge fucking thing. Jaune, here, got away, but not without a few scratches. Glad to see you're doing alright, kid. Are you okay?"

"Thanks." It seemed so long ago, but it really had been only a few weeks. "I had nightmares for the first few nights and I struggled to sleep for a week, but I managed to get past it. I had good friends who looked after me."

"Good to hear. It's legit," he said to his colleague. "I'll grab the file for you later."

"Drop it on my desk," the first said. "It sounds like you've had a tough month, son. We all have. Can't blame you for feeling down on that, and these freak storms have us all on edge. I've heard some people talking about the end of the world. Of monsters walking among us and the end times."

Jaune swallowed. That was bad. "I'm not really religious myself, sir."

"Me neither. Climate change or bad luck, I say. I have to ask, though. Apart from the unusual weather – and the animal attack - have you noticed anything odd lately?"

His instinct was to deny it. No, no and more no. That would leave them with nothing to do but focus on him, though. He tried a different approach instead. "Well I'm not sure it's odd but… I probably shouldn't say."

"No. Go on. Something you're unsure of?"

"One of our teachers, Miss Farleigh. She used to be a friend of mine. Sort of. She'd look after me when I was bullied and try to help." He bit his lip, trying to fight back his anger. To them, he must have looked worried. "She just stopped showing up to school about two weeks ago. I heard people say she'd gone missing but… I don't know. She just never struck me as the kind to run away, and she liked it here. The teachers won't tell us anything."

The two officers exchanged nods. "Miss Farleigh, you say?"

"Rebecca Farleigh. She taught art here."

"Hm." The lead officer jotted the name down. They must have found her body by now and could probably put the name to it later. "Anything you can tell us about her?"

Jaune told them everything he could, leaving out the supernatural. He made sure to tell them of the Rebecca Farleigh he'd genuinely admired and loved, in a way, before he Awakened. The woman who had always been there to offer him an ear and a towel when Cardin would flush him. The police officers listened patiently but didn't write anything down.

They knew she was dead. He wondered why they weren't saying it, then realised they didn't want to hurt him by revealing it. That, or it was an active investigation still. _Even if it feels like months since I Awakened, it's only been about three weeks. That's not enough time for them to have figured out what's going on._

"Sounds like a good woman," the lead officer said. "We'll look into it, son. I promise. A few other questions if I may. Do you spend much time around the docks?"

"The Boulevard?"

"Yes."

"I used to…" Jaune paused for a second. "It was part of my jogging route. I'd cut through downtown, jog up to the boulevard and along it, then make my way back through the park. I did that most nights until… well…" He trailed off meaningfully. "After I saw _that_ , I never felt brave enough to do it again. I joined the running club at school again. I've been doing my jogs during the lunch hour."

"Understandable. I guess I'd feel shaken after seeing something like that as well."

"It's not really all that safe to be out now anyway," Jaune added. "I do watch the news."

"Hm." The officer marked something down. "Joined the running club, you say?"

"Yes. You can ask Pyrrha Nikos. I was running with her at lunch today."

"One last question, I promise." The officer smiled for him and read something off a piece of paper. "It says here that you were absent for three days last week."

Absent?

"You mean my suspension!?"

The officer looked up. "It didn't mention that. You were suspended?"

Jaune winced. "Yeah. I, uh…"

"We're not here to investigate that and you're not being detained. You have the right to remain silent on the matter should you wish it."

Okay, that was beginning to sound too close to an arrest. As much as it might make him look bad, staying silent was going to have them jumping to conclusions he didn't want. "No, it's just… It was a silly thing. Me and a guy got into a fight. It… It was the bully I mentioned."

"The one from middle school?"

"Yeah. Cardin Winchester." He felt no shame throwing Cardin under the bus. "He'd been on my back for a long time and I never did anything. I just tried to ignore him and hope he'd go away."

"Ugh. That old advice." The officer shook his head. "What happened, then? You snapped?"

"He… It was after the hurricane." Jaune didn't have to fake his grief. "A friend of mine, a close friend, was killed during it."

"I'm sorry for your loss, son."

"Yeah."

 _You people were the ones who killed her._

"Cardin wasn't," Jaune growled, feigning his anger at the police toward Cardin. "I don't know if he was just being a dick or wanted to hurt me, but he dragged her into it. Insulted her. I… I lost it. I was fine with him being a bastard to me, but after she just died? I couldn't handle it."

Both the officers looked uncomfortable, and a little unsure. Their roles probably dictated they tell him off or say why he'd done wrong, but as people he liked to think they understood. There were lines that just shouldn't be crossed.

"Sounds like a difficult issue to deal with," one said diplomatically.

"Yeah." Jaune sighed. "And I dealt with it badly. Got suspended for it. It's the first time I ever fought back, and he got suspended too." Adding a little panic, he asked, "I'm not going to get arrested for that, am I? It was just a fight. I was wrong, I admit it, but Cardin said-"

"No. No, we're not here for that."

"Then what?" Jaune asked. "Why am _I_ here? Am I on some kind of list?"

"If you are, we don't know it. You can check by calling the Department of Homeland Security, but this is completely unrelated, son. We're just talking to people who have been absent from school in the last few weeks."

"Why?"

It was a question someone who knew the reason wouldn't have to ask. He hoped it would be enough to sway them away, at least for now. _Though, in the end it won't matter. Cinder knows where I am._

How were they going to kill her while she was a police officer?

"I can't answer that, I'm afraid. Investigation in progress. I'm sure you understand."

"Right." Jaune made sure to act disappointed. "Sorry for asking. I guess it's none of my business."

"No harm done, son." Looking to his colleague, the man said, "I guess we're done here. You're free to return to lessons. Thank you for your cooperation. If we need anything more, we'll call on you. Assuming you're willing."

"Anything to help, sirs."

Standing and shaking their hands when prompted, Jaune kept his back straight as he walked out the office. There was no way of knowing how much they believed him or if he'd done something wrong. According to Pyrrha, they'd need probable cause, or reason to suspect it, in order to do so. They might just be planning to go away and file some paperwork for that for all he knew. But then, they might just as likely be going away not suspecting him at all.

The worst thing he could do now was act out in any way.

Not the best day for him and Ruby to be camping outside a police station.

 _Drip – Drip_

Jaune froze.

Was that-? He listened. _Listened with two sets of ears_. For a moment, he'd thought he heard a familiar sound but… no, that had to be wrong. There was nothing in his domain as far as he could tell, just a brief disturbance. A flicker.

 _I must be imagining it._

That, or something was coming. Making his way to a window, Jaune looked up into the sky. There was no crack or chasm rent across it, no sign of a Nightmare like the one that had struck when he first Awakened.

"Maybe it was nothing after all…"

/-/

Weiss felt the disturbance and flew through the air, cutting a path across the ocean and toward the beach. There upon it, two figures stood confused, a man and a woman. They looked around in shock and a little disbelief.

When Weiss came down to land before them in her Grimm form, that disbelief increased in intensity. Instincts dulled by whatever cocktail of drugs and alcohol they were on, the two didn't run and instead stared at her, senses dulled.

"I must be dreaming," the woman said. "Or on a trip."

" **The former,"** Weiss replied, modulating her voice a little to make it boom. **"You are within your own dreams."**

"What does that make you?" the man asked. "Am I imagining you? Are we-? Wait, is this some crazy-ass shared dream shit?" He looked down at his hands and opened and closed them, staring at his fingers. "Whoah. I feel weird. And there's this noise in the back of my head. It's like… I dunno, like shattering glass?"

"Like a mirror," the woman whispered. "It's like pieces of a mirror falling to the ground."

"It's a pain in the ass is what it is!"

Weiss closed her large eyes and tried not to recall how she'd felt upon discovering that sound, or what it had meant for her.

Or what she was doing now.

" **There is a way to make it stop."**

"Wake up?"

" **That will not stop it, only delay. The mirror comes because you dream in my Domain."**

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Brad," the woman hissed. "Don't upset the huge monster bird."

"Why? It's a figment of my imagination. What's it gonna do, dream-peck me?"

An errant buffet of her wing might have snapped his spine in two. Weiss carefully kept her extremities close to her body and leaned away from them. It wouldn't do to fall over and crush them. From the corner of her eye, she noticed the man making his way to the water and panicked.

" **Do not enter the ocean!"**

"What? Why? I just wanna wash my face."

" **It – It is a dream ocean,"** Weiss lied. **"Rather than refresh you, it would melt the skin from your bones."**

"Seriously? But this is a dream…"

" **Dreams can feel real, while you are trapped within them."** Seeing the man back away, she nodded behind them. **"Do you see the forest over there? Enter it and you shall no longer hear the mirror."**

"And we'll wake up?" the man, Brad, asked. "How do we do that?"

Weiss swallowed. **"There is a black cat that lives within that glade."**

"And what, she'll help us out of this place?"

" **You will never have to see this world again,"** Weiss confirmed.

"Sounds good to me. You, Sam?" The woman nodded back at him, eyes still a little dull and body leaning to one side. "I'm takin' it this cat is some kind of dream-animal too, right? It talk?"

Weiss nodded.

"Ha. Figured. Fuck, I must have put too much acid in the last batch. This is the weirdest trip ever. Alright, fine, might as well play along. And how, oh great spirit bird, do we find this talking cat within the forest?"

" **Don't worry,"** Weiss said sadly. **"She will find you."**

The man and the woman exchanged a few quick words and shrugged, making their way up the beach and towards the woods, moving with the casual confidence of those who had nothing to fear. They vanished into the treeline and out of her Domain. Weiss felt the emptiness left behind, the peace and the quiet.

It did not match how she felt deep inside. Weiss wanted to chase after them, to draw them back and take back all she'd just said. Ten minutes, she waited on the beach, head bowed, and stomach clenched. Waiting and hoping desperately that this might all be just as she'd said, nothing more than a bad dream.

On the tenth minute, two screams pierced the air – silenced quickly.

Weiss closed her eyes and awoke.

/-/

The beach was gone, replaced with the simple room and real world of Ozpin's inn, and the warm sheets she lay atop of. The sounds of music and chatter came from below, along with the constant clink of glasses. Outside the window, the sun was setting, bathing the inside of the room in a ruddy orange glow. The lingering traces of sunlight washed over and rejuvenated her, and while she did not feel weaker in the night, she missed the warmth.

Then, like a hammer, reality struck, and Weiss lurched forward, stomach heaving as she brought both hands up to cover her face.

"What have I done?"

"Something that can never be taken back," a soft voice whispered.

Heart lurching, Weiss tore her hands away and looked around, quickly spotting Ruby in the corner of the room, sat on a couch with a frown on her face. She hadn't been there when Weiss had gone to sleep. She knew because she'd made sure she was alone.

Ruby was watching her, watching and judging. Her silver eyes, glowing slightly in the dim light, pierced into Weiss' body.

"How long have you been there?" Weiss asked.

"Ten minutes. Not long enough to change anything."

She swallowed, eyes on the sheets. "You know?"

"What you did? Yes."

Weiss swallowed again.

"If Jaune knew, he'd despise you," Ruby said. "He risked his life to save you from the exact fate you gave to two others. I'm surprised you would do it, considering what you've been through."

"I didn't Awaken them," Weiss said. "I… I just found them in my Domain. Sensed them. They were as good as dead anyway. The hunters can barely even patrol anymore without the police coming down on them. Those two would have died the next time a Nightmare struck."

"And yet they are dead now."

"I know what I did!" Weiss hissed. "I… I am fully aware of what I just did."

"Is Ozpin?"

"No." Weiss swallowed. "I… I would ask you not to tell him. Or Jaune. A – As far as they need to know, two people Awakened and walked into Blake's Domain. It happens. It was an accident."

"A tragedy," Ruby mocked.

Weiss' eyes scrunched shut. The sickening, cloying feeling in her gut wouldn't go away, and for that she was thankful. Selfish as it was, she'd have been more horrified if she felt nothing. Of course, that meant nothing to the two who had just died.

"I won't tell them," Ruby said, standing. "I won't pretend I agree, but it would be hypocritical of me to condemn someone for killing a human and stealing their body. Ozpin might understand, but he might just as easily call it a step too far. Jaune would not. Jaune would despise you for it."

"And you?" Weiss asked. "What do you think?"

"Me? I'm just a Grimm. Although… I think that if I was the sister of one of them, and you stole away the person I loved, then no matter the reason, I'd hate you for it." Ruby walked away, pausing at the door before she opened it. "Just something to think on. Though… I guess it's too late now. I hope for your sake they had no one to miss them." Sighing, Ruby opened the door. "It's time for me and Jaune to look after the police department. I won't tell him anything. That can be _your_ job."

The door closed behind her with a soft click.

Weiss swung her legs over the bed and stood, stumbling a little on weak legs as she made her way over and into the bathroom. The tiles were ice cold under her bare feet, and she shivered. Turning on the tap, she poured cold water into her hands and splashed it over her face.

"It had to be done. We need help. Cinder is running rings around us and more Awakened to look after would have only made it worse. They'd just become targets for her. New lives for whenever we kill her."

Except, then, by that very logic, Jaune and Ruby should have killed _her_ too.

Weiss dashed her face with water again.

 _I'm going to lead the hunters. I have to keep humanity safe. That means humanity as a whole. You can't run a country without making a few sacrifices, and you can't save the world without doing the same._

Ruby was no different. She was proof of how humanity was better off with a Grimm-possessed human on its side than an innocent child. Even as she thought it, Weiss clapped a hand to her mouth, flinching as her stomach flipped and the day's dinner threatened to come roaring up her throat.

Tears in her eyes, she stared at her pale reflection in the mirror.

 _It had to be done. I – I made the right call. The only call…_

Her own face looked back, just like another's once had, mocking and taunting her with how it would kill and devour her soul. Weiss had slain that creature, but now had taken its place, sending two souls to their demise.

She had become the monster in the mirror.

Dropping to her knees, Weiss was only just able to get her head over the toilet before she threw up. Clinging to the edges of the porcelain bowl, she closed her eyes and lurched forward, hurling her dinner down into the water.

"I'm sorry," Weiss heaved. "I – I'm sorry!"

On the floor beside her, Weiss' mobile phone flashed. A message from a number she didn't recognise, the text appearing on the screen.

" _You kept your end of the bargain. We'll keep ours. – Blake."_

It was done. The deed was done.

Weiss curled up on the floor and cried.

* * *

 **Shit, Weiss. That's a line and a half to cross for sure.**

 **Ruby is angry, obviously, even as a Grimm who has done the same herself before. Is it a sacrifice worth making? I guess that's one of those Machiavellian questions. The moral high-horse answer is NEVER! But then it's easy to make that if you're not, yourself, at risk of dying. If you start to say "Is it worth it to kill two to save eight billion" then the answer might change.**

 **Of course, Jaune would disagree, since he just risked his life to save Weiss from a fate she turned around and bestowed on two others.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 23** **rd** **June**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	38. Chapter 38

**Finished my speech and my stupid event. Really don't want anymore of those. Internet is also fixed at last. Finally.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 38**

* * *

The VPD Central Station was a modern building ripped straight out of an avant-garde architect's college paper. Pure white in colour, its walls were built of what looked like giant breezeblocks, with tall windows taking up an entire one side and looking into the closed foyer, which still had a skeleton crew manning it, the lights still on.

The entranceway was set into a tower-like structure, a rough square with more windows and doors to give it a homey look, while the rest of it was shorter – a single storey – and spread off to the side with more reasonably sized windows and, at the far back, none at all. Giant letters backlit with LED lighting a pale blue in colour read "Vale Police" on two sides of the tallest part of the building, visible for people coming either way down the road.

There was a small gated driveway leading round back, to a car park, a small compound and three garage doors leading down into a basement indoor garage presumably for squad cars and impounded vehicles. Out front, signs showed friendly officers shaking hands and messages about not drink driving.

It was a far cry from the squat redbrick buildings he was used to.

"I guess everything in Vale looks modern when you consider it was all built less than a hundred years ago." Jaune hunkered down past the lip of the building he and Ruby were stood on, crossing his legs under him. "I guess the cell blocks are in the section with no windows?"

"Records, actually. The cell blocks are underground." Ruby stowed away her mobile phone and drew out a handgun, testing it and chambering a round.

"You're not going to use that. Are you?"

"Hopefully not, but I'd rather have something to wave at them if they try and arrest me. Here." Ruby dug in her hoodie and pulled out a folded piece of paper. "This is as close to the layout of the station as Ozpin could get. It might be outdated."

Unfolding it, Jaune laid the paper down, grateful to see it was printed and not hand drawn. The thick black lines on white paper acted as a blueprint of sorts, with small font detailing the nature of given rooms. They'd chosen their spot on the rooftop to be close – but not silhouetted – by a fixed lighting unit, which gave enough illumination to see with. There were three layouts in total, set one above the other on the plan.

 _Must be the individual floors._ As he'd thought, the bottom one looked to be a garage of sorts, with an elevator, a staircase and a few small rooms, one labelled `Armoury C` and the other labelled `Security B2`. There was also a generator room and a maintenance cupboard.

"Are we cutting the power?"

"Not unless we want to tell everyone what's happening." Ruby snickered. "You've watched too many spy movies."

Laughing himself, he had to concede she was right. Cutting the lights was the go-to Hollywood approach, but it would be a surefire way to turn the police station into an armed fortress. "I'm lost at this," he admitted. "How are we supposed to get in?"

"We are not," Ruby said. "I am."

A guilty amount of relief trickled through him. "And what am I doing?"

"You'll be providing support and directions." She tapped the map with her finger. "I can't stop to pull this out and figure out where I am. I need you to guide me through while I focus on staying out of sight. We'll keep in touch with these." She waved her phone. "You have the new phone Ozpin got you. Right?"

"Yeah." He showed it to her. "Wouldn't they have some way of tracking them?"

"Maybe." Ruby shrugged. "But that won't be an issue unless we're caught. I don't smell her here."

Now that she mentioned it, he took a heavy whiff as well and caught nothing more than gasoline, grease and cooking meat from a takeout a street below and several storefronts over. It smelled good. No fire, though. No Cinder.

 _That's not to say she isn't in there, but Ruby would figure that out the second she got close enough._ And with him outside, he could warn her if Cinder returned, smelling her approach. It suddenly made a lot more sense to have him play sentry.

"You'll need to warn me if Grimm approach as well," she said.

"Should I try and deal with them?"

"Only if they come for you. Do you have your gun?"

He patted his hip under his coat. Ruby rolled her eyes, upset to see it not easily to hand, but with him being on a rooftop it wasn't like the Grimm would be getting the drop on him. He'd have time to get it out.

"Keep it close and try not to use it. If the Grimm enter, tell me and I'll take them out without being seen."

"Okay."

Ruby nodded and strolled over to the lip of the building, not closest to the station but attached to an alleyway. She went over the edge, though the sound of metal he heard suggested she was making her way down a fire escape. Jaune waited, scanning the map some more and keeping his phone close, already connected via call to Ruby, who he could hear breathing.

 _This'll be fine,_ he told himself. _I just need to play guide as Ruby sneaks in, finds the prisoners and guards them. Ruby won't have any problems. If she's on her own, she can use her powers to avoid trouble._

Cars drove by and people chattered far below, the everyday hustle and bustle of Vale's nightlife. Waiting for Ruby to get into position was the hardest part. He couldn't see her approach the building, and that was probably a good thing.

" _I'm in the compound round the back."_ Her voice came through quiet but clear.

Scanning the blueprints he asked, "You're going through the garages?"

" _Better than the front door."_ A sound like crunching gravel, probably Ruby jumping down from the wall and landing in the car park area. _"I'm going through the leftmost garage entrance. There's a window next to it. Where is the security booth?"_

Running his finger over the map once he had her position, he said, "It's opposite the doors and attached to the back wall. There should be a maintenance cupboard on your left when you enter. You could hide behind it." He looked further. "There isn't a staircase leading from B2 to the B1 cells. You need to go all the way up to the ground floor, then find a secured staircase leading down. You _could_ use the elevator…"

" _No elevators. They'll be watched."_

"Then you need the staircase to the left of the security booth. That'll take you up into ground floor corridor. Once you're up there, if you take a left you'll be in the offices." There was plenty of deskwork in the police force, more than most realised.

" _Hm. That's not a bad idea. If Cinder has been keeping her cover, she'll need to work her desk. It might still smell a little like her."_

"Do what you think is best. You know this more than I do. Just be careful. I'm pretty sure there will be people working the night shift, and they might be in the offices catching up on work."

" _I'll be fine. Keep on the line and keep an eye out for Grimm as well."_

Kneeling up so that he could rest an elbow on the lip of the building, Jaune looked down onto the street below. "On it. I'll let you know if anything shows up."

/-/

This wasn't the first time she'd been in the police station.

Back when she was younger, when she'd been getting used to her human body, she'd made a mistake and hurt another student at school. Not badly, just a broken leg, but she'd done it without remorse and without seeing the need to apologise, and that had worried the school enough to have her picked up by the police and questioned.

Yang had been worried about her. Even now, she could remember how Yang, the girl who was not her sister but who she loved more than anything else in this world or the next, had answered the police questions and begged for Ruby to be realised to her. Yang had been distraught, telling her just why she had to be careful and not get in trouble.

At the time, Ruby recalled not seeing the point – but then Yang had said that if she wasn't, the police would try and take her away from Yang and force her to live with a new family.

That had been the deciding factor. Ruby never acted out again.

Yang was gone now. Dead. Even if there was a life after death, it wasn't something she would be able to enter – being a Grimm and from a completely different world. If she died, she would go back to her spectral Grimm form and that would be it. Nothing could kill her in that. She was essentially immortal. Or as immortal as she'd could figure out. Other Grimm just passed through her, ageing as they did.

At least Jaune could die. He could lose his human body and then die as Leviathan. She didn't have that blessing, and so Yang was lost to her forever. For eternity.

 _I hope you managed to find the real Ruby. I hope you're together and happy…_

Jaune's voice came over her phone, asking if she was okay. Shaking her head, Ruby tore herself away from such melancholy thoughts and focused on the task at hand. Yang had died wanting to save her world from the Grimm. She had to continue that legacy and finish Yang's work. It was the only thing she could do now to help her.

"I'm fine," she whispered. The garage was large, and the patrol cars were arranged neatly in line. Almost three-quarters were patrol cars, though there were five large vans for transporting prisoners and two armoured ones that didn't look to have seen much use. At the far end, cars of various shapes and sizes covered with tarps stood, pink sheets of paper stapled to the tarp. Probably impounded cars or evidence.

Leaning around the corner, she saw the security booth Jaune had called out before. It was more like a small office sticking out the wall with metal slatted windows and some light drifting out from within. The sound of a TV was playing, and she could just make out the dark shadow of a human shape within, rocking back and forth on a chair. To the side of that booth, a grey staircase cut into the wall and up, a blue fire-retardant door with a `push` symbol covering it.

"You said the staircase and then left at the top?" she whispered.

" _Yes. Is there a problem?"_

"There's a door to the stairs. He'll see or hear me open it." Or she. There was no telling who was in that booth, but they were human, she knew that much. "Is there another way up?"

" _An elevator. Its marked for disabled access."_

"Tch. Not using the elevator. It's fine. I just need a distraction."

" _Ruby…"_

"I'll be safe," she promised.

There were times she wanted to roll her eyes and take Jaune to task for his babying of her. She was older than he was by a good few hundred years, maybe longer. Him trying to look after her was pointless. The only reason she didn't was because Yang had begged him to look after her with her dying breath, and she was unwilling to take that away from him _or_ Yang.

He needn't have worried, though. If worst came to worst, she'd flee. There was no point dying here when Cinder was still alive. But for this, she didn't need to put herself in danger at all. Slipping back among the patrol cars, she laid back on the floor and braced herself with her shoulders, placing her feet on the car door of one and pushing hard.

The metal flexed under her boots. Not much and hardly enough to cause any damage, but it flexed inward. A red light beeped in the window as a warning.

She pushed harder.

" _Beep – Beep!"_ the car said faintly, a second warning.

Pushing back with both hands, she grunted and drove her feet into the door.

The car went wild. Its warnings ignored; the lights began to flash – though without the tell-tale police siren. Instead, it beeped and honked loudly, headlights flashing on and off and rear indicators pulsing every other second. Its horn also sounded every five or six seconds.

"What the-?" The door to the security booth opened and a head poked out. On seeing the single car alarm going off, the man grumbled and ducked his head back inside. The sound of a metal cabinet being opened, and metal jingling came from within, before he strolled out with a flashlight in one hand and a set of the keys in the other. "Always one…"

He pushed a button on the keys from a distance and the alarm turned off, but he came closer, flashing the torch between the cars. He had to see what the problem was, be it a rat, racoon or something else. As the torchlight shone between one car and the next, then moved on, Ruby darted out from behind the first, body low and one hand holding her hood down.

Her footsteps were soft, soft enough that in the sound of the man's grumbling, she was able to get past. She reached the end of the cars and waited for him to crack open the door of the one she'd set off and look inside to make a break for the booth.

Hitting the blue door on the left, she opened it and slipped through, quickly closing it behind her so it wouldn't swing shut on its own. Carefully, she watched through the window slit in the middle as the officer closed the door and locked the car, then made his way back to his booth. She hid beside the window until he was settled, and the TV volume came back up again.

"I'm in," she whispered to Jaune.

" _Kay. The offices are the first left once you reach the main floor. I'm not sure if they're locked or not. This map doesn't tell me where the cameras are by the way. Be careful."_

The staircase doubled back on itself as she made her way up – the thing having to cover two floors even if the middle one, the cell block, wasn't reachable by the staircase itself. When she got to the ground floor, she found another door and peeked through it. There was a corridor on the other side with marble tile floors and wooden panelling on either side. At the end, above an archway leading into what she assumed was the foyer, a small camera was focused directly down the corridor. It wasn't moving, which meant she'd have to walk out into its line of sight to get off the staircase.

 _Of course they'd have a camera watching one of the routes into and out of the building. There's not much I can do, though._ With no ability to turn invisible or remotely deactivate it, the best thing she could do was be quick. It would be watched by a single person, but they'd have other cameras and screens to deal with, assuming they were even paying attention.

The less time she spent on camera, the better but it wasn't guaranteed she'd be caught. Unlike those computer games Yang liked to play, cameras weren't manned by infallible machines that caught you with little exclamation marks the second you appeared. User error was a very real thing.

"I'm going to make a break for the offices," Ruby told Jaune. "I need you to warn me if the people in the foyer start acting weird."

" _Okay. Be quick, though. If it's locked…"_

"I'll find a way."

Hanging around was a waste of time. With a quick breath to centre herself, Ruby pushed through the door and darted to the left, keeping an eye on the camera the whole time. The office door was wooden and, to her relief, hooked open on a little copper doorstopper. There must have been people working inside who couldn't be bothered to deal with the code system. She hurried in and ducked behind the first desk she could find, scurrying under it and scanning the upper corners of the room for cameras. There were none immediately focused on her.

"Anything?" she whispered.

" _Not that I can see. The receptionist is talking to some random guy who just came in. It looks like they're reporting a crime. I think you're clear."_

Lucky. Raising her head, she sniffed the air.

"I don't smell Cinder here."

" _Maybe the scent has faded?"_

"Maybe…" It depended on how long it had been since she was in the offices. In the end, it didn't matter. "It was a long shot anyway. Let's focus on the cell block."

" _Right."_ She heard paper rustling. _"You're in the main office at the moment. Um. There should be a corridor leading off the south side of that."_

"South?"

" _Uh. As you came in the way you did, if you look left – that's the south end."_

Ruby crawled out a little from the desk and looked left and right. There was someone typing away several desks behind her current one, but they weren't in any position to see her. Creeping down the way she'd come, she looked past the door she had come through and found another, also held open, leading into a different corridor.

"I see it."

" _That goes straight to the cell block, with two rooms on the way. One is an armour – definitely locked – and the other is one of the security rooms with cameras and the like. But I think there's a bigger problem. It says there's a check point down there with iron bars blocking the way. You need an ID to get in."_

Obviously. They wouldn't have normal doors leading to where prisoners were kept. There would be far more security on that area too, including a means to lock down the entire corridor in the event of an escape. If she was caught and locked in there, she was toast.

"Is that the _only_ way to the cell blocks?"

" _Yes."_

"You're sure? No ventilation system or something else?"

" _Uh. Maybe, but it's not on these plans, and I can guarantee there will be bars on that as well. I doubt they're stupid enough to leave an easy route in and out of there."_

Ruby smiled. "Then I don't need to go down it."

" _What?"_

"Our job isn't to get them out, remember? It's to make sure Grimm don't get in. I can't smell any and I'd hear screams if there were some."

" _Of course."_ Jaune sounded relieved. _"All you need to do is watch that door and intervene if Grimm do appear. I can't believe I forgot that."_ He laughed. _"Are you okay to stay where you are? What will you do if Grimm appear right there?"_

Kill them was the obvious answer, but she knew what he meant. There were witnesses here, and while they might not be armed in the middle of their own station, that could soon change. There were some locked weapon cabinets on the sides of the room that they probably all had access to.

Sadly, there was also some smaller windows on the walls – none as large as the ones on the foyer, which were designed to make the building look open and inviting – but still large enough for a Grimm to see through, and thus pass into. Being intangible, they could pass through walls if they wished, but they were still mindless. They couldn't figure out where the cells were through reasoning, then pass through fifty metres of solid earth to reach them.

See in a window, though? They'd pass through that.

"I have to stay here," she grumbled. "I don't have anywhere else I can cover the entrance from."

" _Alright. Be safe and – huh?"_

"Jaune?" At his silence, her eyes narrowed. "Jaune. What's wrong?"

" _Oh. Uh. A couple of vans and cars just arrived outside front."_

"Prisoner transports?" Were they moving the hunters already? That could be bad. They needed Ozpin in position to stop them. Now that she thought about it, they were wanted terrorists. Would they try and take the suspects somewhere more important? Washington?

" _I don't think they're transports,"_ Jaune said. _"The cars are unmarked."_

That caught her attention. "Grimm? Can you smell them?"

" _They're not Grimm. There's about ten people, all human from what I can tell. The cars are unmarked – black, grey and blue. They're approaching the foyer and leaving the cars behind."_

"For the love of… If they're Hunters trying to take matters into their own hands, we're in big trouble." She'd thought Ozpin had convinced them not to risk a rescue at this point, but there were always some who might ignore such warnings.

" _Not Hunters, Ruby. I think it's FBI."_

"What?" Ruby hissed into the phone. "How do you know?"

" _Because the person working the front desk just got shown something, probably ID, and she just let them all through into a back door. They're entering the corridor you just came through. They're going to come into the office block. Ruby, they have to be going for the cells."_

"Right." It only made sense they were here to question the prisoners. Ruby scurried back for the cover of the desk she'd originally hidden under, drawing her feet in so that no one would see her when they came in. Her position was out the way of both the entrance and the corridor to the cells. "I'm going silent," she said. "Keep the phone off. Text me if Grimm show up."

Rather than wait for an answer, she turned her phone off and checked it was on silent, stashed it away and looked for her nearest window – her emergency escape if she needed it. A hop up onto a table by the wall and a big leap would let her reach it. The glass was reinforced, so she'd need to shoot it out first.

 _Why didn't we think of the FBI coming? Not like it makes a difference._

A door opened and closed nearby, and footsteps echoed down the marble corridor. Resisting the urge to peek out – she didn't need to see them at all – Ruby listened to their voices.

"Talking gibberish for the most part. Those that will talk. We've not been able to get anything out of them. Closest we've found is that they say they're not in drugs, trafficking or laundering, but they won't say what their main operations are."

"Unsurprising. Have any plea deals been struck?"

"Not yet. We were told you would be coming down."

"Good. Less complicated this way."

"Will you be offering deals?"

"Not anything I can tell you, sergeant. I'm sure you understand."

"Of course. Of course. I didn't mean to pry." The footsteps echoed past her desk and toward the door leading to the cell block. "I can let you in and give you the cards to get out. Do you need the cameras shutting down or anything?"

"Nothing so dramatic, sergeant. You won't be able to listen in, but as long as your cameras aren't recording audio, it's fine. We'll be asking some questions for the most part. Nothing you need worry about."

"Will they talk?"

"Hard to say. Depends if they want to waste time demanding a lawyer." The FBI agent stopped. "This is where we part. Donoghue, Mathers, watch the corridor. Sergeant, I'm sorry to ask but-"

"I'll leave you here," the Sergeant said. "If you need me for whatever reason, you have my number."

"Appreciated, Sergeant. Thank you for your time. In fact, would you mind taking Willers here to your records room? We'd like to see your notes on the arrests."

"Of course. Miss Willers, is it? Will you need to speak to the officers involved in the busts? I can arrange that tomorrow, but there are some on administrative leave. We're investigating the shootings. I stand behind my men, but protocol demands we make sure it was necessary."

"Mrs." A woman replied, "And that won't be necessary right now. If we need to speak to them, we'll make arrangements more convenient to you all. It's enough you stayed late to help us. I just want to make some hard copies of the records."

"Understood. If you'll follow me."

The two walked away, out the first door and back into the corridor. Behind them, Ruby heard the two FBI Agents take their places down the corridor as the main one walked down. There was a loud buzz from within followed by a sound like metal grills being moved, then a buzz again and silence. He was in the cell block.

The Agents didn't smell off so she let them be.

 _They better not be staying all night. I don't want to be stuck under here when the desk's owner comes back in the morning._

Ozpin would be interested to know the FBI had come so quickly, and out of hours. That might have been telling of how quickly the Government wanted this matter sorted. The faster they stomped down on domestic terrorists, the more caring they'd look to voters. If that were the case, the prisoners might find themselves shipped out sooner than they'd thought. Ozpin would need to keep a close eye on the station.

Her phone buzzed silently in her pocket. It buzzed a second and third time in quick succession. Dragging it out, she found three sudden messages from Jaune emblazed on the front. They were all one word, all the same word.

Cinder.

Cinder.

Cinder.

The thick and cloying stench of a burning building assaulted her nostrils a moment later, so heavy it couldn't be missed. Cursing, Ruby pressed her head back against the underside of the desk and drew her gun.

Could the timing be any worse?

If she could smell Cinder, Cinder could smell her.

Hunkering low, Ruby drew several deep breaths and prepared herself. Hidden behind several desks, she was safe from any immediate attack, but she had to be ready to move the second sustained combat began.

Doors opened and closed, and feet echoed down the corridor. The smell moved closer, unerringly so. Her phone buzzed again but she ignored it, focusing all her attention on the human making his way to the door to greet the entrant.

"Lieutenant Colonel," a voice said. "We didn't expect you to arrive so quickly."

"I heard the feds had finally arrived to take care of our little problem." It was a man's voice, a deep voice, and though there was no name, the rank was telling enough. Very high up in the force. Someone whose name could be found out easily enough. "I thought I'd come down in person to see it through. You know I don't like to leave things to chance."

"One of the agents is inside dealing with them, sir. We're not to enter. Sergeant Michaels is showing another to the records room."

"That's enough, detective. I'm not here to interfere." The man, or the man who was now Cinder, spoke with quiet confidence, giving little away. If she hadn't had her sense of smell to rat her out. Ruby would have never realised who it was.

 _She's experienced. This isn't the first time she's done this – and neither was that teacher she took over. She knows how to step into someone's life so easily._ That took practice. Ruby had taken months to start acting human and years to start _thinking_ like one. Even if Cinder had spent a decade as Rebecca Farleigh, she'd spent only a few days at most as this police officer, yet she had his character down to a tee. His own colleagues couldn't even tell something was different.

"You're the FBI Agents?" Cinder asked the two guards.

"Yes, Lieutenant Colonel. I'm Agent Donoghue and this is Agent Mathers. If you wish to speak to Simons, you'll need to wait until he's finished inside."

"He's in charge of the investigation?"

"One of the people, yes."

"I see." Cinder stepped away from the doorway. "I'll leave it to him, then, though I'd like to speak with him after. I've heard… interesting rumours about the Hunters. Something Simons might find useful for his investigation."

Shit. More news fed to the police. True or not, it would work against the hunters. It might even be something on Jaune, something that could see the FBI knocking on his family's door. That would distract him from their true mission. Ruby touched her gun and considered snapping out to take the shot. Cinder was human at the moment. One bullet to the head would silence her.

"I'll be sure to tell him, Lieutenant Colonel. I'm sure he'll have time for you."

"I'm glad. These people are a cancer on this city. The rot must be cut free."

"You're passionate," the Agent remarked, neither judging nor complimenting.

"I suppose I am. My family lives here, so I have reason to be invested."

"From what we can tell, you've done well. Surprisingly so. I don't mind saying we are impressed with how quickly you and your boys were able to apprehend not just one but multiple suspects. The VPD is a newly formed unit, relatively speaking. Your training must be exemplary."

"You flatter us." Cinder chuckled. "You could say I have a nose for suspicious individuals."

Ruby tensed.

That had been aimed at her, she knew it. Her phone buzzed again, Jaune angrily messaging her. She didn't have the time to read or respond and instead let out a quiet breath, readying herself for action.

"In fact, my nose is telling me something right now. Detective?"

"Yes, Lieutenant Colonel?" the original police officer asked.

"Perhaps my senses deceive me, but would you mind performing a quick scan of the room? Something feels… out of place."

"Of course, sir."

Son of a bitch. Cinder didn't even need to hide her abilities, just passing them off as some stupid police intuition. Even if she didn't, if people began to look deeper, they'd only run the risk of Awakening. It was so easy for her. So damn easy.

Ruby's eyes strayed to the window again. Three shots to break the glass and then ten or so seconds to reach it and get out. A normal person couldn't react, get past their shock, pull a gun, aim and shoot in that time. Maybe in a staged situation they could, but not when they were fully unprepared and relaxed.

But Cinder wouldn't be. Chances were, she'd already be ready to draw. It would be written off, of course. Police intuition, experience or just excellent training. Skills befitting someone of his rank.

She would have to put Cinder down first.

 _Looks like I'm causing a scene after all…_

Ruby readied her weapon.

A grenade went off.

It wasn't a grenade, Ruby realised, but it sounded like one. It was so sudden that she jumped, cracking her head against the desk. The sound was lost by the startled cry and the explosion itself, which sounded more like a huge balloon made of hardened plastic bursting. It was followed by a splash as the water cooler on the far wall burst, spraying water out onto the floor.

"Argh!" The police officer who had made to head in her direction must have fallen over in shock. She heard him impact the ground. All eyes turned to the water cooler.

Ruby took her chance and scurried out from under the desk and twisted around the corner of the next, putting the great row of cubicles between her and the other people in the room. Staying low, she crept along them, listening to the Agents and police officers.

"Did that cooler just blow up?"

"Faulty maintenance?"

"Detective!" Cinder reprimanded, voice firm – even insistent. "Continue your task."

"Hah-? But the cooler?"

"Will be fixed in the morning. Move!"

"Y–Yes sir!" He clambered to his feet and strode on, moving without any real haste. As he reached the edge of the desks, Ruby ducked under again, just getting out of sight before he could spot her. "Nothing, sir. I think your nose is playing up."

"We'll see, Detective. I'd ask you to indulge me just in case. Perform a perimeter."

The man sighed. "Yes sir…"

The cooler was no accident. Dragging out her phone, she ignored the ten or so messages waiting and typed a single word back. "AGAIN".

There wasn't another cooler in the room, but Ruby caught a whiff of saltwater rushing above – impossible, but something she and Cinder alone could smell. There was a rumble above, this time audible. The detective looked up, along with the FBI Agents.

"What is-?"

Something burst. It happened above the white ceiling tiles, yet one of them bulged downward and fell, sending down a stream of water with it. With a hole opened, water poured out from the ceiling, bursting through the ceiling tiles in several other places. Another pipe burst, this time with a metallic clang and a piece of copper tubing ricocheting onto the floor. Water gushed out, soaking the detective and covering several desks.

"Sir, some pipes have burst!"

"I can see that, detective." Cinder gritted her teeth. "Continue your-"

"With all due respect, Lieutenant Colonel," one of the FBI Agents said, voice raised to be heard over the noise. "I think it would be more prudent to shut off the water before we're all swimming in it! Detective, go and contact maintenance. Shut off the water supply and call someone in to fix this."

"Yes sir, I-" Whatever he was about to say was cut off as the sprinklers throughout the building turned on, sending out thin streams of water that covered them all and sprinkled down all over the desks and floor. Automatically tied to them, the fire alarm began to blare out.

"Lieutenant Colonel!" the Agent yelled. "We cannot leave our post. Go deal with this!"

"Hm…" Cinder held her ground, glaring in Ruby's direction.

"LIEUTENANT COLONEL NIKOS!" the Agent repeated.

"I heard you." With a hiss, Cinder turned away from Ruby. "Come, detective."

"C-Coming sir!"

Ruby waited a few minutes, five or more. The alarm had been turned off, but the sprinklers were still going, and water poured down from the pipes above the ceiling too. In the distance, back down the corridor, she could hear people running through water, splashing it around with every step. The taps in the bathrooms and kitchens must have gone off as well.

At her feet, the water was pooling but also swirling. Ruby looked down, cocking her head as she saw the water in front of her move unnaturally, pulling away and leaving the floor in front of her dry in a direct line leading to a door. It was as good a sign as any and she took the chance, running through it unhindered by water and not making any splashing sound. It was enough to escape the two agents, who were understandably distracted.

Pushing through the door, she found herself in a much nicer office. One with a large desk and a chair behind it, several personal pictures on the desk – one including a tall man stood behind a red-haired woman and with a hand on the shoulder of a much younger red-headed girl. On the desk, a triangle-shaped piece of metal held the name `Alexander Nikos`.

Cinder's desk. Her office. There was no time to look for anything useful but given that water was seeping through and under the door, she didn't see the harm in a little sabotage. Grabbing a mug off the desk, she filled it with water and then dumped it on the PC tower on the desk, repeating the action a good four or five times until the PC was well and truly soaked through. It might slow her down a little, at least enough for them to find her.

 _This wasn't a complete waste of time,_ she thought, climbing up a bookcase towards a window. It was locked, but she used her powers to age the lock until it was rusty and brittle, then snap it. _We know her name now. We know who she is._

Knew who to kill.

* * *

 **Jaune learning more about his powers and the FBI are involved. More and more attention on the Hunters of Vale, and not the kind they need. But hey, at least they know who Cinder is inhabiting now. There are certainly no complications there.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 30** **th** **June**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	39. Chapter 39

**Ugh. Every year I do this stupid dance where I'm like "It's too hot to write" and I can't concentrate and am just sat indoors sweating my life away and I say "Right. It's time to get air conditioning". Every single year I decide that and every single year I inevitably don't. Either because I can't find the time, it's all private contractors who refuse to give me prices until they have had a chance to "discuss options with me" (aka try and scam me into some super expensive thing), or I just can't find the time off for people to come and look over my house, etc, because Summer is show season at work. Lots of country shows, business fayres and the like.**

 **Yet again I'm here, bumming over my desk with all windows open and electric fan blasting into my face, iced tea beside me and dying over a keyboard.**

 **I arranged air con for work, though. Easier when I'm there 9-5.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 39**

* * *

"The FBI? Things are moving a little too quickly for my liking."

"Cinder expediated it," Ruby said, sat with Ozpin and Jaune and surrounded by numerous hunters who were listening in, eager to hear news of what had happened to their captured fellows. There would be no dissuading them and Ozpin didn't try. "She was there to meet with them. I think she called them in."

"Which raises the question of why. She has our captured at her mercy, so why involve a federal agency?"

"There we no other Grimm," Jaune chimed in. "We didn't see anything."

"That's not unusual; tonight wasn't a Nightmare."

"Yeah, but there wasn't even a sign. And Cinder could have lured Grimm there."

Ruby watched Jaune carefully. What did he mean? Wasn't it bad enough Cinder had nearly caught her? Grimm on top of that would have made the night unbearable. She'd have needed to fight in front of the FBI and in a cramped corridor. The Agents would probably have been killed in the melee.

Wait…

"Cinder was there to protect the hunters!" Ruby gasped.

The crowd stiffened. Ozpin's eyes narrowed. "Explain if you will…"

"She wanted the feds in to take and question them. That's her goal – to pass the hunters further up the chain. That would have been ruined if the feds had been attacked by Grimm, or if the captured hunters died. They don't help her dead. She wants them alive for her plan."

"I see." Ozpin rubbed his chin. "And that plan involves the FBI in some way. Hm. The most obvious I can think of is that she wants to spread Awakening across the US and stop it being localised in Vale. If the FBI were to learn something, they'd have to inform other security and government agencies, including the President."

"They wouldn't all believe it," someone said. "Surely."

"Only takes one to Awaken," a woman snorted. "And what happens if they die? What if it's someone important? Hundred bucks says that's blamed on us."

No one took the bet. It would either be blamed on them or investigated further, which just raised and raised the chance of Awakening, and everyone who Awakened would have a chance, small as it was, to manifest in Cinder's Domain and become one of her hostages.

"The plan doesn't change," Ozpin said. "They'll need to be broken out of confinement when they're transported out the city. Consider Awakening akin to an infectious disease. It must be quarantined to Vale."

"Do you want _us_ to attack the transports?" Jaune asked.

"No. You and Ruby have done enough already. You need tour rest."

There was more to it than that, Ruby knew. Ozpin probably planned an ambush. That would be ruined if Cinder went with the convoy and smelt the two of them before an attack. She nodded, accepting his wisdom.

"There is another thing to talk about. I found the name of the person she's using."

Everyone perked up, suddenly looking a lot more interested.

All except for Jaune.

/-/

"You can't!"

"We have to," Ozpin explained. They were in one of his rooms now, much more private and with only them and Weiss for company. "Leaving aside the danger of leaving her in such a position of power, there is just too much risk in allowing her to continue playing her games."

"But… But what will it look like if we kill the head of the police!?"

"Bad, I admit. Unless we can perfectly make it look like an accident, which is unlikely, the fault is going to land firmly on us. Best we accept that and focus on mitigating the fallout than try to find a way around it."

"But…" Jaune looked to Ruby for help and found none there. Weiss was just as stone-faced, each of them convinced of the task ahead. "I..."

"What's the problem?" Ruby asked. "It's Cinder in someone's body. No different to Rebecca Farleigh."

"It's who he is," Weiss interrupted, watching him. "Alexander Nikos, father of Pyrrha Nikos, a girl Jaune has spent the last few lunch hours with." She inclined her head. "I've seen you with her. Not to mention people have been talking about it."

Weiss went to Eastfield. It was hard to remember sometimes, especially with how little they interacted. She had her clique of friends and he had his, and other than the lunch hour, they didn't share any lesson time together. He didn't know if she was avoiding him on purpose or just not trying to seek him out, but he'd all but forgotten she was a presence there.

That would change, obviously. She had the Grimm scent now, which meant he couldn't ignore her even if he tried.

"Girlfriend?" Ozpin asked.

"Friend. She… She's a friend."

"Your hesitation is understandable but misplaced," Weiss said clinically. "Alexander Nikos is dead. He was killed and devoured by an eldritch abomination and all that remains is his corpse. Were he alive, I'm sure he would ask you to kill him to protect his family, especially his daughter."

"I-I know, but…"

"If you know, then there is no point wasting time. Any hesitance here will cost lives."

"Weiss is not incorrect, though she could afford to say it a little more diplomatically." Ozpin shot his protégé a swift look, one that had her scowling down at the table. "I know this must be difficult, Jaune. As difficult as it would be to see a friend or family member possessed. But we had to steady ourselves to kill you if Leviathan took over, as did you with Weiss."

"The man that was once Alexander Nikos is no more. The thing that takes his place is Cinder, a monster who has killed many and intends to kill more. Do you believe she has any emotional attachment to her newfound daughter? The only reason your friend lives is because Cinder considers her important to protect her cover. Once her plans are closer to fruition, she might decide that the death of Alexander Nikos would serve her better than his life."

"What?"

"Consider it. Once she has all the use out of that body she needs, what is to stop her firebombing herself and her house? Cooking her family alive? It would be blamed on us. A revenge attack for the capture of our people."

His stomach flipped and he leaned back, a hand over his mouth. It was just the kind of thing she'd do, wasn't it? If Cinder had already made people attack hospitals, then what was to stop her killing herself and Pyrrha? Or just killing Pyrrha, framing that on the hunters, and then using it as a motive to launch a personal crusade against them.

He imagined the man stepping into Pyrrha's room while she slept, kneeling down on her bed and picking up a pillow. Holding it over Pyrrha's face as she kicked and screamed, crying out in confusion as her `beloved father` smothered her.

His head fell. His hands clenched into fists.

"You know what has to be done," Ozpin said. "None of us like it. That is what distinguishes us from monsters. Hold onto that despair and remember it. But also remember that if it were any of us in that situation, we might want to die as well."

Ruby coughed meaningfully.

"No offence meant of course. The point remains that this has to be done and… as much as it pains me to admit it, it must be done by you."

Jaune's muscles tensed.

"Or more specifically, the three of you. Cinder has powers beyond what the average hunter can deal with. She will not be shy about using them."

Water beat fire. Or it did in movies anyway. Even here, he could at least douse it. That didn't do much for his fear, though. Pyrrha was a friend like Nora and Ren. He'd promised to keep them out of it, and apparently failed. Worse, he was going to have to pick up the pieces of his failure and tear Pyrrha's father away from her.

"If we don't do this, untold people will die."

"If you don't do this," Weiss said. "Ruby and I will. Alone."

 _Look after Ruby for me,_ Yang had said with her parting words. Jaune's eyes scrunched shut.

"Fine. I'll do it."

/-/

The morning bell sounded.

Moving silently through the corridors of Eastfield to his lockers, Jaune put his bags away and took a long swig of an energy drink he'd stuffed inside. It washed away the heavy weight settling round his shoulders even if it did nothing for the cause of it. Putting it away, he wiped a hand over his forehead and closed the locker door.

It had to be a sign of his exhaustion that he didn't realise someone was there until the door was closed, revealing her face.

"Morning Jaune!"

Pyrrha. Pyrrha Nikos.

His stomach flipped.

"H-Hey. Morning." He tried to smile but it came out sickly. "How are you doing?"

"Not bad." She was all smiles. "You? You look tired. Did you get enough sleep?"

"Ah, well. Yeah. Just one of those days, you know?"

"Oh, I do. I have them all the time."

He doubted it. Nights spent on a rooftop, then in secrets meetings finished with a charitable nap on one of Ozpin's spare beds because the man couldn't stand the thought of letting him sleep in a sewer. He'd woken up so late he only had time for a brief shower and breakfast before school.

That wasn't what really bothered him, though.

Pyrrha's father was Cinder.

Or more specifically, and much more horrifying, Pyrrha's father was _dead_. Her father was dead, and his soul had been consumed by a monster who now wore his flesh as her own, and who lived in the same hour as Pyrrha, playing the role of loving father. And here she was, smiling so happily, innocent and oblivious of all the horrible things wrong with life.

"Are you sure you're feeling okay, though? Maybe you should see the nurse."

"Ah. No. I'm alright. Just need to wake up a little."

They hadn't yet made any plans to kill Pyrrha's father, but it was an inevitable next step. Except they wouldn't be killing her father, would they? He was already gone. It was better to think of it that way. It wouldn't change the fact Pyrrha didn't know. As far as she would know, her father was going to be murdered.

It was hard to look at her.

"I have to go to class."

"Hm. Me too. I just wanted to say hello. Will you be running at lunch?"

"No." He watched her face fall just a little. "I'm too tired for it today. Tomorrow, maybe?"

"Sure. I'll hold you to that."

Bidding her a quick goodbye he picked up his bag and hurried to class, finding Ren and Nora saving him a seat as usual. Nora shot him another odd look, peering at his eyes every now and then, but would turn away whenever he looked back. If Ren noticed, he wrote it off. Jaune kept his head down and Nora did the same.

 _If I can at least keep Nora and Ren out of this, I'll be happy. Just give me that. If you can give me nothing else, let me have this._

"And due to the incidents taking place across Vale, new measures are being introduced to the city, which you should all be made aware of. For one, all routes in and out of the city now have checkpoints on them. Anyone wanting to leave should present ID and be prepared to be searched."

"What? We're being locked in Vale?" Cardin yelled.

"Not at all, Mr Winchester. And I'll thank you to raise your hand next time. Free travel in and out of the city is more than fine. You'll simply be asked to present ID and your vehicle will be searched. I'm sure you have nothing to worry about."

Every route out of the city? That sounded unlikely. They probably meant the roads, though there was no telling. There might be helicopters or cameras watching the Reservoir and beyond. It didn't matter since he was staying.

"We have also been asked to conduct thorough registers of all students and to document and check up on all absences. If you know you will be absent, please have yourself or a guardian call the school as soon as possible to explain." On hearing the raft of complaints, Professor Oobleck nodded his head. "I know, I know. We like it as little as you do, believe me. But you can spare us the effort of having to contact you by contacting us first. These measures have been put in for your safety."

"They think we're all terrorists?" someone yelled.

"No, idiot," Russel fired back. "They're checking up to make sure we're not _dead_!"

"As crass as Mr Thrush puts it, that is the case. Now, there is nothing to suggest any of you are in danger. This is simply a precautionary measure. Think of it as how we took more time to count heads and keep an eye on you during our school trip last semester. It's not that we expected any of you to die. We were just being careful. It will be the same here."

There were still some protests, mostly from those who wanted to slip off or skip lessons. Jaune kept quiet, wondering whether it would be a problem for him. If they ran a register in every lesson, he'd not be able to get out of school in an emergency.

Would they be doing this in Ruby's school as well? Her absence had to have been noticed by now.

"First on the list, Arc. Jaune Arc."

He raised his hand. "Here, sir."

"Very good. Emily Baker?"

"Here, sir."

"Jonathan Broker."

"Here."

/-/

It was during lunch that he caught the scent.

Lessons had progressed as usual, but there was a register at the beginning of each. School did that normally, but only in homeroom. Having one for every class was a pain. A few students had already been caught out coming in late, though reprimands were the order of the day for now. Punishments later.

When lunch came, however, Jaune caught the scent of something unusual. Freshly fallen dew, wood pine and fur. Mixed with it, warm air and a salty breeze. The latter he recognised as Weiss. The former, he didn't recognise at all.

Thinking she might be under attack, he slipped away from Ren and Nora and rushed over to the west side of school, pushing through the lockers and out toward the bicycle racks on the outside edge of the teacher's parking lot. The smell got stronger the closer he got, soon filling his nostrils and leaving his face pinched.

He spotted them around the back of the gym shed. Or spotted them would be the wrong term. He isolated the smell and knew, more from instinct than anything else, that they were behind it. Two people, one of whom was Weiss. It didn't sound like they were fighting but he wasn't willing to take the risk. Readying himself and reached out for water, he stepped around the side of shed.

"He's here. Took him long enough."

"I could have just told him," Weiss said.

"More fun this way. Besides, he needs to learn to be more aware."

One of the voices he recognised as Weiss, but the other was new. The woman it was attached to was new as well. Red hair a much darker shade than Pyrrha's, and obviously dyed. She had a small stud piercing on the left side of her nose, a tattoo on her neck in Japanese or Chinese and an outfit that could generously have been called a collection of leather, chain and denim. Her eyes were bright golden and glowing. It was those which clued him in.

"Blake…?"

The woman – Grimm – smiled. "Hello Jaune. Good to see you again on this side."

"What-? How-?" His face hardened. "You killed someone…"

"They wandered into my Domain. Two of them. I could have spared them, but they would have only gone elsewhere and gotten themselves killed." Blake glanced at Weiss as she said it, the other girl standing by stiffly.

"They?"

"Two of them."

"So, Adam is here as well?"

"He's resting at our new home. The male human body seems particularly prone to collapse after a night of passion. Strange, that. He's not used to feeling so tired."

It was detail he didn't need, though in a weird kind of way it made sense they'd want to try it. Curiosity or just a desire to see what it was like on the other side. The two were mated, after all. He dreaded to imagine what it might mean for a child. Could two Grimm-possessed humans have a child? Would it still be human?

"What are you doing here?"

"I came to speak with Weiss," Blake said. "And to greet you."

"You're on our side…?"

"Of course. Like I said the last time, it would ruin the point of us having bodies in this world if we let it be turned into a mirror of our own." She chuffed, and it took him a second to realise she had to get used to laughing with a human body again. The sound was like quiet choking while her shoulders rose and fell.

Blake had been the first Grimm he'd knowingly interacted with and she had, in some strange way, helped him. That didn't explain why he felt so apprehensive now, though. Maybe because he knew he was looking into the eyes of a dead person whose soul had been eaten.

It would have been so much easier to call her friend without that. The face she wore was a constant reminder.

"I've got my own vengeance to wreck on that woman, too. I _liked_ my old body. I spent so long getting used to it and she burned me to a crisp."

"Blake and Adam have agreed to aid us," Weiss said, stepping in. "And the hunters have accepted it. I think-"

"Weiss," I interrupted, grabbing her arm. "Can I have a word quick?" A quick glance at Blake. "In private?"

Blake chuffed again. "Feel free." Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a pack of cigarettes and stepped to the side, lighting one and sighing happily. "I should have tried this before. Such an interesting feeling."

 _Easy to have no regard for your health when it's not your own._ Jaune shook his head and pulled Weiss around the corner of the shed, spinning her so that they were face to face. "What the hell are you thinking?" he hissed.

"What? We need help and Blake has aided us before."

"She's Grimm."

"So are you. So is Ruby. As am I."

"We're different!" He couldn't believe she needed to know why. "Us two were raised as humans and we _killed_ our Grimm. Ruby is… Ruby is close, but she's lived with humans for years and grown used to them. She was practically raised as one of us. Those two are in it for themselves. They're more like mercenaries."

"Good."

"Good!?"

"Yes." Weiss tugged her arm way and crossed them. "It makes them easier to understand. They want what they want, and we give it to them. Now that they have bodies here, they have reason to defend this world."

"Bodies they stole! What if they kill more people!?"

"Why would they? At worst, they would become like Cinder, keeping people trapped in their Domain."

"Which would be _horrible_!"

"Would it? Any other Domain they step into would mean their death, but at least if Blake and Adam only care about humans to have a body, they won't be slaughtering their way through them. It would be _safer_ to let people rest in their Domain. As long as these bodies don't die, they won't need to take another for fifty to seventy years."

"I can't believe you're saying that. We're talking about two innocent people who _died_!"

Weiss flinched and turned away. "I know, but they're already dead. There's no point dwelling on it."

"Oh, sure. I bet that's what their families think, too."

"That's not fair!" she snapped.

"It wasn't fair for them either!"

"Are you two done?" Blake stepped around the corner, flicking her cigarette aside. "I didn't come to find out the two of you are having a fight. Sort it out like Adam and I. There's a perfectly good way here to rut against."

"We're not-" He growled. "I thought I asked for privacy."

"You did. I gave you some. Then I got bored and decided you were wasting my time, time I could be using to scout out our surroundings and secure a base of operations. Weiss has already told me who Cinder is. We need to be better prepared."

"We haven't decided if we're working with you yet."

Blake rolled her eyes.

"We have," Weiss said, scowling at him. "The decision was made by me, and I have Ozpin's backing. As far as the hunters are concerned, Adam and Blake are two new recruits. Case closed. Discussion over."

"This isn't-"

"We don't have time, Jaune. Stop wasting it. The ends justify the means and the entire human race is at stake here. If you can't accept that, don't, but you're not the one in charge and for good reason, apparently."

He bit back his anger, and his less than kind response.

"Fine. I guess I'm just upset. If they walked into Blake's Domain, that means they were near ours." He looked to Weiss with agonising pain. "If they'd walked in our direction, they'd be alive. We could have protected them."

"Y-Yes…" Weiss couldn't meet his gaze.

He knew why. It was just as painful for her as it was him, but she, as Ozpin's second in command, had to put on a brave face. Maybe he was being unfair. If she could have, Weiss would have done anything to keep them alive.

"Sorry," he said. "I was just angry. It's not your fault."

"I… Yes…" Weiss swallowed. "It was a tragedy. Nothing more."

"Yeah." Blake snorted, watching Weiss with a grin. "Tragic."

Jaune scowled at her. He didn't expect _her_ to think it was unfortunate, especially not when she'd gotten a body out of it for her and her boyfriend. "Stop digging at Weiss. We'll accept your help; Weiss has already decided that. But I don't want to hear you making light of two people dying. You don't have the right."

"As you say."

"And no more," he stressed. "If anyone else appears in your Domain…" Then what? What was she supposed to do? "Then send them to mine."

"Oh? Looking to create your own set of bodies?"

"No. My ocean will be a safe haven."

"And if I refuse?" Blake asked.

"Then my ocean will gain a nice new kelp forest."

Her eyes hardened and she looked to Weiss, hissing slightly. "You two are more alike than either of you realise. Very well. I'll pass the ultimatum on. Adam will need time to adjust to having a human body, and to your silly cultures. The concept of `payment` is troubling him enough already. He's already mugged someone."

"Blake…"

"Laws like yours don't exist in our world. He had no way of knowing. He'll learn."

"Preferably before Cinder kills us all."

"He'll have plenty of chances," Blake said with a smirk of her own. "We were visited by the police this morning."

Jaune tensed. "She knows?"

"Not yet. It was a visit of a different nature. Turns out he's been absent from school lately."

"No…"

"Why did you think I was here talking to Weiss?" Finally, Blake mastered the human laugh. "I'll ask you as well, I suppose. Look after your classmate. He's… how do you humans put it? Ah yes. A little rough around the edges."

* * *

 **This is shorter than usual. I can't manage more. I really do just fail as a human being when the heat gets too high. I think I really will be booking a week off work this year to just knuckle down and get air conditioning in the house. Or at least in my writing office. The computer only adds to the heat, turning it into a furnace.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 7** **th** **July**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	40. Chapter 40

**Here we go.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 40**

* * *

A Grimm was being introduced to our class.

It felt like something straight out of a bad anime, especially since the teacher did the whole `introduction` thing at the front. Though, that was more to make a scene about Adam, who – in the eyes of the teacher – had been skipping school for months. Long enough that Jaune had forgotten there was ever a missing classmate at all.

Adam, or the body of the person he now occupied, looked far worse than Blake had put it. Jaune liked to think he wasn't the kind of guy who judged by appearances, but it was hard to ignore the dark red hair, dyed from black if the roots were any indication and the stud piercings in his nose – three on one side and a hoop between them.

The irony of the bull hoop wasn't lost on me.

He had a tattoo on one bicep, another on the back of his right hand and from what could be seen through his top buttons being undone, another on his chest. Given that he was at best nineteen, that felt like a lot. While Eastfield didn't have a uniform code, the teachers probably wished they did looking at Adam. Leather pants, chains, a red shirt untucked and mostly undone, studded bracelets and a black collar.

To be fair to whomever he had once been, he might have been a lovely person. Adam wore the skin slouched and uncaring, with eyes that looked over the students and made no secret of how he saw them as food. The girls probably thought he was a deviant, especially when he licked his lips.

Jaune knew better.

This was going to be a disaster.

"Will someone volunteer to look after Adam and help him get more familiar with our courses again?" The teacher asked it in the kind of voice that told them he wouldn't be surprised if no one volunteered. Unsurprisingly, no one did. "Anyone? No one?"

He didn't need this. He didn't need this at all.

Jaune raised his hand.

"Jaune Arc!" The teacher practically cheered as he latched onto a lone volunteer in an ocean of reluctance. The fact he had himself been suspended a few days ago was apparently forgotten. "Excellent. Jaune is a model student, Adam, so be sure to listen to everything he says."

"Hn." Adam's grunt was dismissive. Without waiting for permission he walked over to Jaune's table and glared at the person to his left. The guy decided to move seats, scurrying away. Adam took it, flopped down and immediately yawned and laid down on the table.

"Um. Lessons are about to start," the teacher said. "You need to stay awake for-"

"No."

"But-"

"No," Adam said again. "Tired."

"And what, Mr Taurus, were you so busy with last night that you can't listen in class today?" The teacher asked it in that way they did, the kind of public embarrassment they usually thought cowed students. To be fair, it often did.

Not Adam. He cracked one eye open, yawned and stretched his arms over his head.

"Fucking, mostly."

Everyone's mouths fell open. Jaune's did not.

"E-Excuse me?"

"Fucking. Sex. My mate wanted to try some different positions. Took a couple of hours until she was satisfied. I didn't get any sleep. You done, now?"

"I-I… well, I… that is…"

"Good." Adam took it as an agreement and laid down again. It took precisely four seconds for him to fall asleep. "Snrghhh…"

His snores were quiet, but the class was quieter. Jaune cringed, waiting for the teacher to explode.

"W-Well, then. On with the lesson…"

Or not.

Jaune paid little attention to the lesson itself, focusing instead on Adam and trying to get a read for the guy. He wasn't like Blake. She was used to living in the human world and as cruel as she could be, knew better than to draw attention to herself or threaten to make people Awaken. There was no such security with him, and he didn't trust Blake's word to be enough.

Adam could easily do something he shouldn't completely by accident. If Cardin went for him, Adam might retaliate and kill him, thinking it perfectly normal. Blake couldn't be around at all times, either, so it was up to _him_ to keep Adam in line.

 _He and Blake will help us with Cinder, though. This is a good thing in the long run._ It didn't feel like a good thing now, but he had to remind himself he was stuck at school anyway. Might as well be useful.

Nora and Ren were going to be issues. Nora was stealing looks at Adam and sometimes at him as well, often looking away with a nervous expression whenever he caught her. Ren was less so, but still curious. They'd be watching Adam.

This was going to be a pain.

/-/

Weiss couldn't concentrate.

Lessons had always been a way out for her; a chance to turn off and immerse herself in something that wasn't the end of the world or a threat to her life. School was dull and uninspired, but the people weren't really all that aware of the wealth or influence of her family. In Vale, her father was just a distant figure.

Classes were easy, too. As the daughter of a Senator – and even presidential candidate in time, assuming Jacques' plans bore fruit – she was expected to not cause any fuss. Keep her head down, excel in school, be polite and hardworking, don't do drugs, don't get pregnant and be _seen_ to visit church every Sunday, even if she didn't stay. To a painfully large number of voters, that somehow mattered. In school, that translated to her knowing most of the course material already.

She could have passed a year and moved on, but her father would never allow it. Staying in a year that she'd mastered made her the valedictorian. Moving on, no matter how that might challenge her, would only leave her middle of the pack. Average.

The Schnee family could not be average. Schnees led. They made the big decisions. They saw the bigger picture that others only glimpsed, and they weren't afraid to call the shots.

Why, then, did Jaune's words haunt her so?

The answer was as painfully obvious as it was frustrating. Like it or not, she'd murdered those people. She hadn't pulled the trigger, but she'd sent them knowingly to their deaths. As Jaune put it, if only they'd turned the other way and entered the ocean, they'd still be alive.

Two random people who didn't really matter versus two allied Grimm with knowledge of the Grimm world and the ability to smell and hunt down Cinder.

The _worth_ of that trade was obvious. Even if Adam and Blake didn't find Cinder, they could throw themselves at her with reckless abandon, uncaring for their human bodies. The people they'd been before were useless, not to mention Awakened and visiting the Grimm world. They were doomed anyway.

Jaune would have still tried, though.

 _Idiot. He'd have split his attention looking after them instead of doing the right thing. We've no idea how many people Cinder has under her thrall. It could be over a hundred. Sacrificing two for a chance to save them was the right choice._

Weiss disliked the right choice, or rather the guilt that came with it. Logic dictated her call had been correct, but that didn't make her impervious to regret. Damn it. He wasn't making things easier with what he'd said.

And Ozpin didn't even know yet.

He might not like what she'd done. He'd opened Beacon specifically to look after the Awakened. Her thoughts were bigger, though. It wasn't enough to have a safe haven in Vale. All of the US, all of the world, needed to be made safe. That necessitated action.

Immediate action.

"Miss Schnee?"

"Hm?" Weiss looked up, quickly realising that everyone was staring at her.

"I asked if you are listening, Miss Schnee. I see that you are not. Would you care to share your deep thoughts with the class? They must be important if you decided to ignore my lecture."

More important than he would ever realise.

Weiss bowed her head. "I apologise. I'm feeling a little under the weather. May I be excused to the nurse's office?"

"Hm." The teacher clearly didn't believe it, but, foreseeing more disruption if he didn't allow it, agreed. "Very well. You can see yourself there, I trust. Back to what we were discussing, the forces involved in the civil war-"

Weiss let herself out the classroom, cutting off the lecture mid-swing. The hallways were quiet, and she made her way down them, pausing to slip into the bathroom and to the sink. Running cold water into her hands, she splashed it across her face, scrunching her eyes shut.

 _Focus. I need to focus. There are bigger things than two dead people._

Having been excused to visit the nurse's office, there was no reason not to do so. Thankfully, her complexion was so pale and so fragile that she looked anaemic at the best of times. A few complaints of tiredness and nausea won her the right to lay down on the bed and recover her strength. There was a window overlooking it with warm sunlight pouring in.

It was unnatural how big a difference that made. Every breath made her feel stronger.

The sunlight was her Domain. How ridiculously powerful…

"I've contacted your guardians as to your illness," the nurse said. Contrary to expectation it was a middle-aged man with greying hair. "They said you've been spending a lot of time off the property lately, out until late at night and staying with friends."

"Is that a problem?"

"No, no. And no business of mine. Just that you should perhaps watch your energy levels and not wear yourself out. It seems your men- ah, your issues have been improving."

Her mental illness; was that what he'd been about to say? Of course the school would have been notified. Really, she was surprised her father hadn't been told she was on the mend, though maybe he had and just didn't care. Her minders should have been more set on keeping her locked in the manor, but it seemed they were content to let her roam so long as she came back safe and didn't cause a fuss.

"It's my psychiatrist. He's been helping keep me busy." Ozpin certainly did that. "And the meetings are help groups. People like me. We talk and plan what to do about our conditions." Weiss hummed, amused at how true that was.

"It's obviously been of great help but try to take things easy. When your body starts to act like this, it's trying to tell you you're pushing it too hard. You're seventeen. Take some time to yourself and enjoy your childhood while it lasts."

Would that she could. Would that she could…

"I'll keep that in mind. Thank you."

/-/

"We need to talk."

"If you want." Adam crossed one arm over the other and leaned against a wall between two lockers, pushing one foot up against it.

"Not here." Jaune looked around at the people none-too-discretely watching Adam. He couldn't tell if it was out of interest for his bad boy image or just the fact he looked like a drug addict. People looked more bemused than attracted to him. "I know a place we can talk. Will you follow me?"

Adam pushed off the wall with a shrug. "Blake told me to do what you say."

That hadn't been said quietly and people were whispering, asking who Blake was and how Jaune knew her and Adam, and just what the nature of their relationship implied. It had to be because of his suspension and fight with Cardin. Mild-mannered and bullied student brutalises stronger kids was an attention grabber. That boy coming back and suddenly having contact with a guy who looked ripped out of a biker gang only added to it.

The eyes and whispers followed them up the stairs and then another flight. Not to the roof. That was a trap. It was meant to be locked – and obviously someone had broken that long ago – leaving it the place where people went to smoke. It would be crowded up there. Instead, he took Adam to an office he hadn't visited in a while. Cinder's.

It had been emptied out and cleaned since their last meeting there. The engraving on the floor had either washed away in the ritual or been cleaned and the desk now had a thin covering of dust.

"This smells of ash," Adam pointed out upon entering.

"It was her office. She acted as a student to trick us." Jaune closed the door after making sure no one was listening in. "Blake told you to do what I say?"

"At this place. This _school_. Blake doesn't have to waste her time here. I don't see why I do."

"How old is your body?"

"I don't know."

"Show me your ID." At the blank expression, Jaune moved forward and opened Adam's wallet, thankful he even had it. Blake must have forced it on him. "This is an ID," he explained, showing Adam the card. "This is the date of birth. You're seventeen, which means you're still in school. Blake must be older if she doesn't need it."

Not much older from what he'd seen – maybe eighteen to twenty.

"Why can't I ignore it?"

"Laws. Things you're forced to do. We all wish we could ignore school, but the police might get involved if you do, and Cinder is a part of them." Phrasing it as a threat to his human body worked. Adam nodded. "Just try to stay awake in class. You don't need to do good at school or anything, not if you don't intent to get a normal job after."

There was no imagining Adam or Blake working as lawyers or starting a business.

"It seems like a waste…"

"For you, it probably is. It's more to set us up for long-term life." Jaune swallowed. "Were you and Blake really doing that all night?"

"Doing what?"

Christ, he was going to make him say it. "Sleeping with one another."

"There was little sleep," Adam said blithely. "Otherwise I'd not have needed it in class. We spent the night rutting. Blake found a book with ideas. The human body is interesting. There's a lot more flexibility in how you do it. Some were more fun than others."

"I don't need to hear this!"

"On the table was my favourite, but Blake also tried tying me down. That was interesting."

"Adam!"

"Though this body is weak as well. I've never felt so spent after coupling with her. This body wanted to fall asleep immediately and struggled to go more than three times in a row. Do you really live with such deficiencies? How pathetic…"

"I don't want to know about you and Blake having sex!" Jaune howled.

"Then why ask?"

"Stupidity." And curiosity. Closest he'd ever gotten was a kiss from Nora. "Look, just be careful. The human world is very different to your one and there are laws to be followed. You might not think they mean anything, but if you break them then you get put in jail." He saw nothing. "A cage."

Adam's lips peeled back. "They can try…"

"And they will – or your body will die. Either way, you want to avoid both scenarios. Blake wants to stay in this world a but and you want to stay with her."

"I guess…"

"Good!" It was a start. It was something he could work with. "I'll help you in school and Blake can help you outside. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me. We'll exchange numbers, too. And if you-"

"I have a question."

Already? Well, Adam was new to the world. Jaune swallowed. "Is it sex related?"

"I don't think I could ask _you_ anything about sex."

Ouch. "G-Go on, then…"

"Blake and I woke up in a house. Our house. Blake called it an apartment. It was stinky and mucky. We cleaned it up a bit, but it's still horrid. There was no food, either. Just cold slices of what Blake tells me is pizza."

"Do you have food now?"

"Yes. Blake is hunting and gathering today."

Hunting and – "Do you mean she's gone shopping?"

Adam shrugged. Okay. Note to self, make sure Adam doesn't see and attack a cow.

"That's not what I was asking. There was something we found to eat. White powder. It tasted sweet, unbearably so. Our teeth ached."

"Sugar?" Jaune had to laugh. "That's not food, Adam. It's… it's an extra. You put it on top of or in food to make it taste sweeter. It's not good for you. I'm surprised Blake didn't realise. I'm sure she's seen it before, and it should have been in a marked package."

"It was unmarked. It was a block of white powder taped up at the edges. Some was on a pile on the table, so Blake thought it must be food."

"Wait…" Jaune's smile fell.

"It caused… visions," Adam said. "It was strange, as though by eating it we had found a third world outside both yours and our own. Bright lights, sounds and shapes flashed before my eyes. When I woke up, Blake and I had destroyed the table and some of the chairs." Adam looked at him curiously. "It was interesting, but I don't understand why human food would do this."

"That wasn't food, Adam. That was drugs…"

"Drugs?"

It took him a good five minutes to explain the concept of drugs. Recreational drugs anyway. Adam seemed pleased at the thought of medicine, though he had to explain it away as drugs that could heal aches and wounds rather than specific illnesses. But the concept of risking your life for pleasure through drugs seemed to confuse Adam.

Jaune was a little surprised honestly. Since neither he nor Blake died if their human bodies did, he'd have thought they'd approve of the experience despite any risks.

"It doesn't make sense," Adam growled. "Why use these drugs to seek pleasure? Why not just seek pleasure?"

"W-Well, I think it's because it's easier?"

"Laziness? Your kind risk their life because they are lazy?"

"No. Uh. Wrong way of explaining it. It's more like people want the experience and the relaxation. Some people smoke to relax as well."

"Why? If you want to relax, just relax."

"It's not as easy as that."

"Why? Blake and I couple to relax. Why can't others do that?"

"It's…I… well, I don't know!" Was this what having a child felt like? The why, why, why was killing him. "I've never taken drugs like that and I don't intend to. You'd have to ask someone who actually _does_ for the reasons. I'm just telling you what I know. Get rid of yours."

"We will." Adam sneered. "Such weakness. The poisonous mushrooms in our glade are to be ignored, not cultivated and turned to measured poison for pleasure."

"Right…" At least he didn't have to worry about the two Grimm running through Vale high. "What about finding Cinder, then? Has Weiss talked to you yet?"

"She's spoken to Blake. I'm not one for details. I'll do what Blake tells me."

No help, then. Maybe it was better to think of Adam as the muscle. If nothing else, they needed that. Weiss and Ozpin were by far the better strategists. He'd have to talk to Weiss about how to pair them. Common sense said Blake and Adam would work well together, but then… well…

They might get `distracted` with one another.

"If there's nothing else…"

"There is," Adam said immediately, grabbing his arm. "Where does the toilet paper go when it's flushed? Why do your vehicles belch such nasty smoke? How does the TV work? Why does it take time for the water in the shower to become hot? Why-"

Jaune stopped him with a hand.

"How about I teach you how to use Google?"

Predictably, Adam had no idea what that was. "What's a Google?"

"It's going to be the answer to a lot of your problems. Show me your phone."

Five minutes later, Adam lowered his phone, eyes wide and shocked. Jaune nodded, pleased with finding his way out. "If you're ever in doubt, refer to that. And for the love of God, do _not_ get a Twitter account. I don't think you're ready for the online world. Or that the world is ready for you. Google can answer almost any question you have, though. Anything else?"

"Why did they call it Google?"

/-/

"He's an interesting one."

Jaune looked to Nora and snorted. "Interesting is one way of putting it."

"Yeah." Nora giggled, relaxing a little as she sat beside him in a free period. Adam was still there, albeit in the corner looking over his phone. Jaune hoped to hell he hadn't found the porn sites yet, or he was going to hear about that from Blake. "Is he like you?"

"Ah-?" Jaune managed to not sounded offended. Just. "What's that mean?"

"You know…" Nora shrugged her shoulders. "Like… the thing…" She scanned the area. "The thing I'm not meant to talk about."

Oh.

Oh hell…

"Yeah. He's… like me. He's not a bad person," Jaune felt the need to add, more for his own defence than Adam's. "It's not what everything looks like. Or sounds like."

"I know." Nora's hand touched his. " _You_ didn't start that fire. I was there for it. It's other people, isn't it? Other people who are making it look like it's your fault."

Common sense said he should tell her otherwise, tell her to stop or leave or even cease being a friend with him at all. But he couldn't. It was too hard. He needed _someone_ on the know, if only to trust he wasn't alone.

"Yeah. We're being framed."

"I knew it." Nora breathed a sigh of relief. "I mean, it's obvious in a way. That person did it all and you saved me. Adam is on your side, then? He's a good guy?"

 _Define good guy. He's eaten someone's soul…_

"He's on our side," Jaune said, choosing the safer truth. "Rough around the edges." Thank you, Blake, for that understatement. "But he's good, yes. I wouldn't try and befriend him, though. Not that I think you couldn't. Just…" He shrugged. "He's not a people person."

"Is it okay for us to talk like this?"

"Not really." He didn't bother to hide it. There really was no point. "I'm not supposed to, and it puts you in danger. I'd rather you not be."

"I don't want to lose a friend just to be safe. I only have two…"

"As long as no one overhears, it's safe. I can't tell you anything but… I guess the best way to put it is that we're not the bad guys. We're trying to _stop_ those who are. That's why I saved you, that's why I'm here and that's why Adam has come back. Anything more and you're at risk. Don't ask, because I'm not going to answer."

"Are you going to be okay?"

"I…" He was about to say yes, about to promise it, but then paused to think. He was living in a sewer when he wasn't bunking at Beacon. He was out of contact with his family, hunted by Cinder and now in danger from the FBI. It wasn't a good situation no matter how you sliced it. Maybe the living situation could be fixed by moving in with Adam and Blake, but he was half-convinced a sewer was better than that. "I'm doing my best to stay safe," he said instead. "I'm not taking any risks I don't have to, and I have good people looking after me."

Strange to think it. Ruby, Blake, Adam and Weiss. They were an odd bunch to rely on. Ozpin fit, but then Ozpin could only help in planning and strategy, not when the chips were down. He couldn't call it perfect. Ruby was only focused on avenging Yang; Weiss did her own thing without talking to anyone and Blake and Adam hadn't worked with them yet but would probably act how Blake did before. That was helping, but never really working _with_ you.

Was that something that could be improved? Maybe he should talk with Weiss about it.

"Is it something you take?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, the news is saying it's drug related…"

"It's not-" Jaune sighed. He shouldn't still be talking about this, but Nora was only going to worry. "It's nothing to do with that. We're not criminals."

"I just thought it might explain-"

A sudden blast rocked the school, shaking the tables. Someone screamed and Nora fell from her chair, landing on her hands and knees. Adam was on his feet, Jaune after him a second or two later. A deafening silence fell over the classroom, over what felt like the entire school. Dust rained down from the ceiling.

"What was that?"

"I-I don't know." Nora staggered to her feet. "That sounded close. An accident at the science labs?"

There hadn't been one of those while they'd been at school, but it could happen. Bunsen burners, gas and chemicals could mix. The chemistry professor was a hardass, though. She was the type throw people out for not wearing goggles.

When a plume of smoke fluttered up past the window, those in the classroom gasped and ran for a closer look. It was black smoke, thick and rolling. Jaune and Adam were among the crowds at the windows, looking down. It was hard to see through it, but the flames weren't hard to see. A classroom was on fire, the windows having exploded outward.

The fire alarm began to ring at that moment, a loud and piercing sound that made everyone jump. They'd practiced fire drills so many times but the first time it happened for real, everyone froze.

"We need to make our way to the track field," a brave soul eventually said. "Come on. Everyone out in an orderly fashion. Leave your stuff behind."

No one did, obviously. Fire safety aside, people scrambled for phones, bags and coats, pulling them on before hurrying to the door. Outside, footsteps stampeded as people made their way down the corridors.

A second bang rocked the academy. Windows smashed and even their own cracked angrily. Jaune stepped back, half covering Nora and afraid it might explode inward.

"We should go," he said. "We have to line up outside for a register."

"Do you think Ren is okay?"

"I'm sure he is. He went for a drink, right? He was probably at the vending machines by the stairs. No way he went down two floors for a can of soda. He'll be on his way outside right now. We should as well." He turned Nora away with a hand on her shoulder.

There was no reason to assume the worst, not yet. Cinder knew they were here and knew how to strike at them, but there were better ways. If she'd memorised their lesson plans, she could have taken him out. Blowing up some bottom-floor classes wouldn't make sense.

Adam tapped his shoulder and said, "We have a problem."

"What?"

He pointed out the window. Jaune's eyes followed.

There was a jagged crack cutting its way across the sky. One he hadn't seen for what felt like so long. "Oh, shit…"

The Grimm were coming. A Nightmare. And thanks to the fire alarm and the explosions, the police would be coming to Eastfield. If those two forces met at once and the Grimm saw him, Weiss and Adam, the only Awakened on campus, it would out them. The Grimm would attack, and they'd be forced to fight back, all of which would be invisible to students and police alike. It would be a repeat of the last few days, with Cinder able to smile and announce their arrest.

"This can't get worse…"

"Oh my God!" Nora cried, staring out the window. "W-What is that? It's like the sky tearing open?"

Jaune's stomach fell.

It got worse.

* * *

 **Welp. Nora has Awakened.**

 **Officially, anyway. Obviously, she started to see the glowing eyes a while back, but it's like Jaune. It took him a day or two to fully Awaken after his first encounter with the Grimm. Anyway, there we have it. This chapter came out at a more reasonable time compared to last weekend, which took me 2-3 hours longer for less words. The heat really was too much for me.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 14** **th** **July**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	41. Chapter 41

**Hm. My pc must be messing up as I blue screened today as well. Luckily, I only lost about 1k words and I could mostly re-write those from memory. Wasn't too big an issue.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 41**

* * *

"You can see that?" He didn't mean to snap but couldn't help it. Nora flinched back and he followed, stepping up close and in her face. "You can _see_ that?"

"Yeah? Who could miss it?"

"More people than you realise," Adam said, pushing away from the window. "We need to go."

"No." Jaune caught him by his wrist. "The bombs here will have everyone lining up for a headcount in the track field. If we're not there, people will look for us. Suspicion will fall right on us and we'll be hunted down by the police."

"Hm." Adam frowned.

"Bombs, police, hunted?" Nora looked between them nervously. "You're not even trying to pretend this is okay."

"It's not."

The timing – no, he couldn't say it was bad at all. It was _scheduled_. Cinder knew exactly when the nightmare was coming, or she knew how to create them. This was perfect timing, at least from her point of view. Nora's Awakening was the bad luck cherry on top of a god-awful cake.

"Stick with me," he said, holding her shoulder. "Don't do anything unusual and don't react to anything strange you see. Act natural."

"I've told Blake." Adam put his phone away. "She'll pass the news on to the rest. You know more than I do of acting human." He ignored the confused sound Nora made and focused his attention on Jaune. "What do we do? Would it not be reasonable to assume some humans would flee rather than attend this counting?"

It wasn't against the realms of possibility, but he doubted it. You'd have to run _past_ the fires to get to the front gates, while the track field itself would be safe from any bombs, far enough away from the buildings that most students would feel sager running there than out the gates. They had instructions in place in case of a shooting, but with no gunshots sounding and the chance a bomb could be in any room, no one was going to let themselves be confined to a classroom.

Suddenly being thrown into control of the situation wasn't something he was prepared for. Adam and Nora were looking to him for guidance, though, one because she had no idea what was going on and the other because he'd been told to.

Track field or run. Track field or run. Track field _and_ run? No, that was stupid. Plus, it would be throwing Adam to the wolves.

"Track field," he decided. "Nora, I need you to act completely normal and not yell out – no matter what you see. Also, keep your eyes down from any police. Whatever happens, don't look them in the eye. When school ends, you need to make your way toward the lighthouse."

"Lighthouse? What lighthouse?"

"You'll see it. You mustn't go home, Nora."

"What about you?"

Jaune tried for a confident grin. "If all goes well, I'll be taking you to the lighthouse myself. I'm just saying this from an `all goes wrong` perspective."

"Okay." Nora looked a little happier. "I trust you."

By now, most of the students were probably already outside. Jaune, Adam and Nora followed, stepping out into the corridor to find it empty. Sounds from downstairs led them to the staircases, where one of the teachers was stood at the top, ushering people down.

"You three!" she called, spotting them. "Downstairs and out to the field now. You'll be okay. Come on." The teacher looked haggard and frightened, but she stayed behind to make sure no one was left behind or confused. _He_ knew she'd be fine, but it was still brave on her part.

More teachers were on the bottom floor with fire extinguishers reacting to and dousing a blaze that threatened to overtake the corridor. The school nurse was tending to someone with a broken arm and burns down the side of their body. Before they could see more, another teacher hurried over and pushed them away, shouting for them to get outside where it would be safe.

Crowds upon crowds of students stood arranged in single-file lines out in the track field, each line representing a homeroom with their teacher at the front with the register, running down the list. Some looked far smaller than others and a few were missing entirely. One line was only eight people, all haunted and quiet, while the homeroom teacher was missing entirely.

Theirs, being on the top floor, had escaped the blast for the most part. When they came hurrying over, their teacher caught sight of them and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Nora Valkyrie, Jaune Arc and Adam Taurus." He marked the list. "That's everyone. Thank the Lord for his mercy." He shook his head a second later. "Get in line and stay quiet. If anything happens, follow the instructions of the headmistress or a teacher."

They nodded and moved down the line between their class and another's. Ren caught them halfway, stepping out the line to join their group with a relieved smile. He patted Jaune's arm and gave Nora a one-armed hug.

Nora hugged him back. "You're okay!"

"I was nowhere near the blast," he replied. "I was in the bathroom when it happened, and then sent outside before I could come find you. What's going on? Someone said a gas explosion in the labs but there's too much panic for that."

Jaune cut Nora off before she could reply, "No idea," he said, not failing to notice how Nora looked to him and swallowed her words. "We were in class when it happened. We saw the fire and the smoke, but not what caused it."

The tear in the sky was present but the sun was still up, and the Grimm had yet to pour out. Even if it was a Nightmare, the Grimm still seemed to favour the night. Within reason. The last Nightmare had been during the school day as well, but Leviathan had blocked out the sun with his storm.

"Ah!" Nora gasped, drawing their gaze.

She was looking out over the city, out toward the Quabbin Reservoir.

Jaune nudged her arm with his elbow.

"S-Sorry," she said, tearing her eyes away from the ghostly lighthouse. She looked caught somewhere between amazed and excited. That would soon change; she hadn't seen the true horror yet. "I thought I saw something."

 _`Later`_ Jaune mouthed as explanation.

Nora nodded back.

"Students!" the headmistress, Glynda Goodwitch, called out. The crowd went silent. "As you are no doubt aware there has been an incident in Eastfield. I will tell you now that we have secured the school and there is no immediate danger to everyone here."

Jaune stepped into line behind Nora, keeping an eye on her while Adam took the spot ahead. Their eyes scanned the crowd, at least as far as they could see. There were lines of people on either side and above it all, the crack in the sky loomed, invisible to so many.

 _Hurry up,_ he thought. _Dismiss us and call the day off. There's no reason to keep us here if you think there will be more bombs._

"We cannot yet confirm what has happened or how many have been hurt. I will ask you all to keep hope in your hearts and to stay calm. Rescue efforts are already underway for those who are missing, and the fire department has already arrived." Red and blue lights were already flashing over the school building. "In the event that you learn of _any student_ who left school rather than gathered here, I will ask you to contact the administration or police department _immediately._ We need an accurate tally of who is and isn't missing."

It really was a good thing they'd come in that case. Anyone absent was going to be a suspect even if they claimed fear had driven them to flee. Jaune sniffed the air. The scent of fire was on the wind, but it was impossible to tell if it was hers or just the fire raging in the school.

"Eastfield will be cancelled for the day," Miss Goodwitch announced. "And possibly for the next few. Please keep an eye on the local news for more information. We shall also update our website to make you all aware. In the meantime, I encourage you all to contact your families to assure them you are safe. Before that, however, we have a representative here from the police department who would like to say a few words."

The _stench_ struck. Adam growled like a wild animal.

Her. Him. The two were the same. The man that stood before them was older and looked friendly. The small similarities to Pyrrha were there, and yet he couldn't shake the similarities to Rebecca Farleigh. The way the man carried himself, the way he smiled, the glow in his eyes. Jaune heard Nora make a confused sound and he placed a hand on her head, forcing her to break eye contact.

"I am Alexander Nikos," the man announced. "Lieutenant colonel of the Vale City Police Department. I would like to begin by informing you that our brave officers have checked through the school already and can assure you that there are no assailants present. Our bomb squads will be searching Eastfield from top to bottom until we are certain any risk to yourself is neutralised."

Murmurs broke out. It was the word used. He'd said it was a bomb.

 _You'd know, obviously._ They would no doubt find the ones who planted it dead in the wreckage – and Jaune would bet his liver they'd have markings, tattoos or something else stupid that linked them to the hunters.

"Though we cannot confirm anything yet, I will say that this is being considered a case of domestic terrorism, one likely linked the outbreak of the terrorist group that attacked the hospital recently. These people are highly dangerous, indiscriminate and without remorse. Should any of you have information as to friends or peers who have been acting suspicious or running absent lately, please do not hesitate to inform us. Lives _are_ on the line."

Could Cinder do anything here? Would she? If she had no attachment to her body, she might just pull out a gun and start shooting. It wasn't like he could escape, and she _had_ to be able to smell him in the mass of students. Adam and Weiss, too.

Why was she here? This was her plan; she had to have _something_ in mind.

"You will soon be dismissed to leave. Return to your homes and families. If you have friends among the missing, I will ask you to not interfere or distract the men and women working to find them. Detailed lists will be updated real-time online."

 _She shouldn't be giving us so much information. Mom would have a police officer's head in court if they were telling people the results of an investigation before it can even begin._ Even if they one hundred per cent knew the cause, they shouldn't tell it to schoolchildren. _Is she trying to start a panic? That won't work. It would have been better to delay the police or use more explosives._

Cinder's eyes scanned toward him. Jaune ducked his below, turning and stepping behind Ren to use him as cover. He wasn't sure if she'd seen him or not. They weren't going to play her game, though. They were here and had alibis. A teacher had even seen them on the top floor, as far away from the explosions as they could get. No one would be able to pin this on them.

"Classes will be called to leave one by one to avoid panic or congestion. Please wait with your teachers until your class is called, then follow them calmly to the main gates. Your names will be taken there by officers. Do not fear. This is simply to create a census on who is safe and well. Your names will not be used in any capacity beyond that. If you know anyone who is absent from school today for reasons such as sickness, holiday or anything else, inform those officers so they can be marked down as absent and not potentially missing." Alexander Nikos stepped down. "Headmistress, I leave the rest to you."

"Thank you. I understand you all want to put this behind you, but please remain calm and orderly as we bring you all off grounds. Class 1-A first."

One of the lines moved, walking in single file and led by their teacher. They moved past the police officers and toward the iron fence on the west side of the school, skirting the long way around that to the front and avoiding the main building, which was no longer on fire but still belching smoke and a ringing fire alarm. Miss Goodwitch waited for them to be fully out of sight before calling for Class 1-B. They made their way out by the same route.

Minutes passed in silence, broken only occasionally by the headmistress calling for a new class, then the shuffling of feet. The constant ringing of the alarm panned over all that, but it had been going for a while now and Jaune tuned it out.

Nora's sudden gasp he couldn't ignore. His eyes followed hers, a soft curse escaping him as he saw a large wolf like creature snuffling on the track field, over by the football posts. The Grimm was sniffing the air, head held high.

"What is-" Nora's question cut off as he clamped a hand on her shoulder and leaned in.

"Act natural," he reminded her.

"But-"

"Shh." He winked, hoping she'd catch on. "It's nothing. You're imagining it."

Her gulp was audible. She tried to turn away and look ahead, but her eyes kept sliding back, survival instincts mostly unused kicking in to tell her a huge wolf monster standing less than one hundred metres away was _not_ something you ignored.

No one else in the crowd had reacted to it from what he could see. One of the leaving classes walked right by it, the Grimm even looking up to regard them for a moment before looking past. It couldn't see them, either.

Bit it could smell something. That much was obvious by how it kept raising its head.

Jaune watched Cinder. Or Alexander. The police officer stood calmly, arms crossed and eyes scanning the crowd. In a small motion, almost imperceptible, he glanced at the Grimm and then back again. Anyone watching would have thought it him looking around naturally. Cinder made no move to deal with the creature.

She was waiting for one of them to out themselves.

Or die.

Outing was more likely. If that thing saw them and attacked, they'd have to run or fight. Any of those things could be grounds for suspicion and arrest, or at least questioning. Both would be fatal with that thing nearby and a Nightmare taking over the city. The Grimm would find and kill them with ease. Shit, the captives in the station. They were even more vulnerable now.

Ozpin would do something. He'd have realised it was a Nightmare by now and would be acting accordingly. Him and Ruby both. Jaune looked down again as Cinder's eyes roamed over them and made sure Nora did the same.

"Ignore it," he whispered. "Ignore it and it'll ignore you."

"W- What is it?"

"Nothing but a figment of your imagination."

"Wait, you said you were attacked by a wild animal two weeks back. Was that-?"

"It's nothing but your imagination," he hissed, squeezing her shoulder tight. "Remember what I said. Just keep moving and get to the lighthouse. Nothing else matters. Leave that thing to me. I'll handle it."

Once he figured out a way to, that was. Unarmed, surrounded by people and without a source of water to call on, he was pretty much as helpless as Nora. At least he was a good runner. Better than the police in cars? Unlikely. _Call our class already. We need to go._

"Class 2-C."

Not theirs. Another class filed out, making the crowd thinner than ever. He caught sight of Weiss' white hair among them, saw how she hovered at the side of the group, keeping them between her and the Grimm. As she passed, its head snapped up. Cinder turned in the direction it was looking. The Grimm snarled and paced toward the students.

 _Shit, shit, shit. Not now._

Flowers. He could smell flowers.

Cinder moved.

 _CRACK!_

The gunshot echoed hard over the city. Grass and turf sprung into the air behind Cinder, the round missing the possessed man when he dodged to the side. Students screamed and dropped with hands over their heads. Officers tore guns from holsters and sought cover, one tackling Miss Goodwitch to the floor and covering her with his body.

Ruby? It had to be. Her scent had carried on the wind and given Cinder the only warning she needed to move.

A second shot echoed but Cinder was moving, running sideways and drawing her gun, ducking behind a squad car and barking out orders. "Sniper! Get down!"

"Get the kids out!" another yelled.

Curses and swears broke out, several officers breaking cover to run between the downed students and the gunman, using their bodies as shields. "Move!" they yelled. "Get around the school and out. Go!"

Through terrified screams, the students of Eastfield hurried to obey. Jaune scrambled to his feet and dragged Nora up by her arm, tugging her along. "Come on," he hissed. "This is our chance."

"B-But the shooter."

"On our side."

Nora's mouth opened and closed. Her eyes flicked toward the Grimm, but it had reacted the noise as well, turning in the direction of whatever rooftop Ruby was on. Another gunshot had people screaking and ducking but it didn't matter. The shot impacted the car Cinder was behind, smashing through glass and metal.

The Grimm could smell Ruby. It could probably smell all of them, but it couldn't _find_ them in the crowd, whereas Ruby's scent was as clear as day. With a long and undulating howl, it burst off in her direction, leaping over the wrought iron fence and loping through the city.

Ruby wasted no bullets on it, if they would even make a difference. Another crack echoed and perforated the hood of Cinder's car. The police couldn't fire back from such a distance and focused instead on escorting them away, backing up to form a cordon and human shield for the students.

There wasn't another shot. Ruby must have decided it was time to go. She'd bought them the chance to escape they needed. The police's attempt to collect names at the gate was forgotten. Students poured out and into the road, cars screeching to a halt as they realised what was going on. The police already there were trying to organise an orderly extraction to no avail. People ran in every direction as long as it was away from the school and sniper. Off to the side, several squad cars tore across another road, sirens blaring as they hunted Ruby down.

"Ren, I'm going to get Nora to my place!" Jaune yelled. "It's closer. You get home."

"Shouldn't we stick together!?"

"No." He had no way to explain. "Trust me, we'll be fine."

"I-It's okay, Ren!" Nora said. "I'll be alright. T-Talk to you later?"

Ren was obviously frustrated and confused. Their homes weren't far away, and it didn't make sense to him to split up. He obviously knew arguing now would be a bad idea, though. "Fine," he said, tone making it clear he'd be asking questions next time. "Text me when you're safe. I'll tell your fosters where you are."

Jaune dragged her away.

/-/

Nora's heart hammered in her chest. The fire, explosions and gunshots reminded her of the moment where she'd thought she was going to die; that instant when she'd opened her eyes, seen Jaune take a bullet for her and then drag her away. Of fire, ash and blood that left her scared and alone, crawling back to her home wracked with uncertainty and not even knowing if he was alive.

Of a desperate kiss and a night of sobbing.

It reminded her how little she knew the boy she called one of her best friends.

And she thought she did know him. She'd thought she had him down. Jaune was goofy, friendly, loyal, kind and kind of clueless at times, but in a good way. Sure, he had his flaws. His passiveness around Winchester was one, and he was _awful_ at remembering things sometimes, borrowing and copying her homework and forgetting to bring it back in numerous times.

But that was normal. You took the good with the bad. Nora was certain she knew him like the back of her hand.

And then _that_ happened. And then he was saving her life. And then he was bleeding, shooting a gun, beating Winchester within an inch of his life, hanging out with Yang Xiao-Long, getting suspended. Falling in with the wrong crowd? She hated that phrase. It was what her foster parents said whenever they knew she was friends with two boys, as if it would lead her astray and corrupt her.

Then again, what if they were right?

"I smell one ahead," the red-headed boy Jaune had been asked to show around said. His voice was gravelly, his words blunt and sharply spoken. He had a dangerous air around him, and Nora had been filled with doubt the second he and Jaune stood together.

If it were the old Jaune, she'd have stepped in to _defend_ Jaune against a guy like this.

The new Jaune didn't care.

"Can you deal with them?" Jaune asked.

"If I have to." His hand reached to his trousers and pulled out a knife. Nora shied back or would have if Jaune hadn't been dragging her along. She nearly stumbled.

Jaune and Adam looked to her.

Nora looked away, intimidated by their glowing eyes.

Inhuman. It had been a few days since she noticed the faint glow in Jaune's, but she'd refused to comment on it. He'd saved her life and really, she'd just assumed it was a trick of the light. Maybe something she'd never noticed. Looking back, that was stupid.

"I'll get Nora to Beacon. You deal with them."

"Fine. I can find my own way there. Blake should be on her way."

Jaune sniffed the air – like a bloodhound. "I don't smell her."

 _Blake? Smell? Beacon?_ Nora watched the redhead rush off with his knife and opened her mouth to speak, only for Jaune to silence her by pulling her to the intersection. People were already reacting to the noise from school, some knowing what was happening and moving away and others watching or checking their phones for the news.

Jaune peered around the corner Adam had gone down and Nora did the same, leaning past him. There, down the street, she saw two more… _animals_ was the only way she could put it. Except they weren't. She couldn't pretend to know every creature on Remnant, but the thing that looked like an armour-plated rhinoceros with six twisted horns? That wasn't normal. It looked like something out of a twisted version of Jurassic Park.

And Adam was rushing toward it.

"What is he doing?"

"He'll get them out the way for us. Lead them away."

Adam did no such thing. He charged in with a scream and drove the knife into the eye of the rhinoceros creature. The other, a cross between a gorilla and an armadillo – however that worked – lunged toward him with its arms outstretched. Adam ducked under, wrenching the knife free and driving it into the second under the armpit.

"Shit," Jaune hissed. "I thought he was going to be subtle about it at least. Should have been clearer what I meant. Christ, people are going to pay attention to this."

Was he joking? People were already looking, some screaming and others running. She had no idea why they ran from _him_ but not the monsters. Couldn't they see he was fighting them? One of them roared and Adam roared back, his voice almost as bestial.

"God's sake. He's going to Awaken somebody. Nothing we can do." He tugged Nora's arm. "Come on. While they're distracted."

Nora ran with him, pushing through people going the opposite way. "Where are we going?" she yelled.

"Beacon. It's a place you'll be safe."

"Safe from what!? What are those things?"

"Grimm."

"Jaune, that means nothing to me!" she yelled. "Use words!"

"Monsters," he said, trying again and coming up once more with something useless. She could _see_ that they were monsters. "No one but us can see them," he explained. "They can't see other people either. They see, hunt and kill us. We're the ones who fight them back."

"Hunters? Is that why you're called hunters?"

"Yeah."

"A-And you're one of them?"

He glanced back, wincing. "Something like that. I'm not like Adam, though. Or Ruby or Yang. I can barely fight in most cases. I'm still new." He looked both ways quickly and dragged her across the road. "I only Awakened about two weeks ago. Ruby does most of the fighting."

Ruby? Fifteen-year-old Ruby? The cute little girl? And he couldn't fight them? That didn't sound good.

"Then what happens if we run into more?"

"We keep running."

That wasn't as inspiring an answer as she'd hoped. She didn't ask for more. If there was one thing Jaune beat her hands down in, it was gym. He could run for what felt like hours. She was more a sprint, collapse and give up kind of girl. She wasn't unfit, just not good at pacing herself – something she'd never cared enough about to learn.

"C-Can't we take a car?"

"Sure. You have one right here? And you know how to drive all of a sudden?" Her silence answered that. "Then no, we can't." He suddenly stopped and yanked her down an alley. "We'll be safe on the waterfront."

Panting, Nora looked back to the road they'd left. "B-But the waterfront was _that_ way."

"Grimm were ahead," he said. "I smell them."

"More?"

"It's a Nightmare. There's always more. It'll get worse when night falls."

Nora's voice cracked. "Worse…?"

"Much worse. You'll be safe at Beacon. Just need to-" He cut off suddenly, looking back. "They noticed us. Shit."

It took a good five or six seconds for Nora to hear what he had, or what he'd smelt. The sudden sound of crashing feet behind them and snarls reached her ears and granted her fresh strength to push on. Her chest rose and fell as she pumped her arms, pushing herself harder than she ever had before.

"How far is Beacon!?"

"Another five minutes."

Five-? There was no way they made that. She couldn't sprint for five minutes. Not even athletes did that. "We'll never make it!"

Jaune's eyes were focused ahead. "We'll be fine. It's not far."

That didn't make sense to his last statement, but Nora was too far gone to care. Panic racing through her and the howls close behind she ran faster than she ever had before. Light ahead marked the end of the alley; they tore free from it and onto a busy street connected to the waterfront boulevard. Jaune darted in that direction, tapping her arm to make sure she followed.

Ahead, reaching over the buildings, she could see the lighthouse that had never been there before. _It's like magic,_ her terrified mind whispered. If it was, it was a magic she'd never asked for. Behind, the creatures – Grimm – hurtled from the alley and into the crowd. Looking back, she saw them pass _through_ the people there. Some shivered and others looked around suddenly as though they'd felt something, but no one was bowled over.

They were catching up. She didn't dare think what would happen if they were caught. Jaune had already said he couldn't fight. She'd seen him use a gun, but he obviously didn't have one on him. She could scrap, but against huge wolf beasts with claws longer than her hand?

"Ahead!" he barked. "We're there!"

They struck the boulevard at a dead sprint and had to slow. Nora skidded to a halt and fell, tumbling on the flagstones and rolling to the edge of the sidewalk overlooking the reservoir. People turned to stare but she didn't care. She slammed a hand down and pushed up onto her knees, staring back the way they'd come in time to see two monsters hurtling forward. Scrambling for purchase, Nora crawled to her feet and ran on.

Jaune didn't. He'd come to a stop and turned.

"Jaune!?" she yelled, heedless of the people watching. "What are you doing!?"

His eyes were closed. He took a deep breath and his nostrils flared. The monsters were ignoring her entirely and barrelling toward Jaune. His hands had come out at his side, pointed down but spread a little to either side. They were empty. No weapons. Nothing.

Nora made to shout a warning.

Someone else beat her to it. Cries of shock and horror from the crowd on the waterfront. People fell and fled, stumbling and staggering away from them. Not from the Grimm, though. They passed through those, fleeing in the opposite direction.

A shadow pooled over her head, casting the floor in darkness. Nora turned.

And froze.

A tidal wave? In a reservoir? It wasn't a tidal wave by far but in her state of heightened panic the five-metre-tall wave certainly _felt_ like one. It was an impossibility. Then again, wasn't everything she'd seen.

Her eyes flicked back to Jaune; whose hands were now drawn toward the Grimm.

"You're in _my_ domain," he hissed.

The wave crashed down. It struck Nora and sent her crashing to the floor, drenching her in an instant. Thankfully, it wasn't a heavy wave and the impact was quick. It pinned her down and then splashed away, covering the boulevard in water and smashing windows on the storefronts. Gasping for breath, Nora pushed through it and knelt on hands and knees.

Several other people had been hit, though none seemed badly injured. Bruises and maybe some broken bones. Most looked shocked.

A monstrous roar brought her attention to the Grimm. They were on their fronts and being dragged toward her and the reservoir as the water ran back. Their claws skittered as they fought for purchase on the stone. It didn't make sense. Even though the water was running back off the sidewalk, it wasn't strong enough to tug on her, let alone anyone else there, yet the Grimm – far larger and heavier – were scraping their nails painfully on the flagstones, desperately trying to hold on as they were swept away.

One of them passed so close to her she could have reached out and touched its paw. Its eyes locked with hers. There was nothing in them. No anger, no animalistic rage. Just a faint glow not unlike the one she'd seen in Jaune.

And then it was gone, swept off the pier's edge with one final howl and sent crashing into the reservoir. Its voice didn't reach her again. It disappeared down into the depths, dragged down by a current that should by all rights not exist. The waterfront boulevard was soaked. People climbed slowly to their feet, looking out at the still water. They were as shaken as she.

Not Jaune. Jaune was still standing. He'd never fallen.

His eyes opened. Blue irises glowed down on her.

"Come." His hand extended. It wasn't wet. He wasn't wet at all. "We should be safe now."

"What happened to you?" she whispered, hoarse.

"The worst week ever."

He smiled. It was bitter, sad, but it was Jaune. Aside from the inhuman eyes and inhuman powers, that ashamed and sad little smile was one she'd seen time and time before, usually when he came back from bullying with Cardin and told her and Ren the bruises were from him falling.

Nora took his hand, let him drag her to her feet. She was soaked through and through. And now that the immediate danger was over, the shakes came on. She almost stumbled and had to lean on him for a second, just so she could gather herself.

"Will…" She swallowed. "Will this happen to me?"

"Not if I can stop it."

"And can you?"

"I don't know." His hand tightened on her arm. "But I swear to you, Nora, it won't be for lack of trying. Not this time. I _won't_ let you be another Yang." Sighing, he loosened his hold, turning her to the side. "Let's go. Beacon isn't far and we'll be safe in my domain."

"Domain…?"

"It's… Actually, it's probably better I let Ozpin explain. Just one thing. Have you been having any nightmares the last few nights? Any trouble sleeping?"

"A-A little, I guess…"

"What happens in them?" He leaned in. "I'm serious here. What do you remember?"

Nora licked her lips and broke eye contact, suddenly aware how exhausted she was. A combination of running and lack of sleep. "I thought it was just recurring nightmares about what happened. You know, when you saved me from that person. I… I think I keep reliving it in my dreams."

"Why? What do you see?"

"Fire," she answered. "Lots and lots of fire. A hellscape of fire and ash."

* * *

 **No prizes for guessing whose domain Nora has wandered into.**

 **Obviously, I don't know much about school evacuation plans in the US, btw. We don't have anything like that in the UK because they're never needed. I based it on our fire drills, however, which would normally have us line up on our playing field for a headcount and the like. Maybe I'm wrong, etc, but my Google searches only brought up school shooting protocols for the US, and those obviously didn't fit. Plus I felt like my internet history was startling to look really suspect at that point...**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 21** **st** **July**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	42. Chapter 42

**Here we go**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 42**

* * *

Ruby found him sat on the edge of the pier, feet dangling above the water in the middle of a Nightmare. Her clothing was soaked through, her hair wet and lank. She favoured one leg and paused to look at him for a few seconds before sighing and coming close, sitting down next to him.

"Thanks for the save," he said.

"No problem. I was following Nikos anyway and saw the trap he – Cinder – sprung."

"They didn't catch you. Did they?"

"No." Ruby shook her head. "I was a few rooftops away and they didn't get a helicopter out in time. I booked it long before they got there." Noticing him checking her side, she sighed. "This was from a Grimm. It didn't cut me; I moved too hard and pulled a muscle. I also took a dunk in the reservoir."

"Any cops?"

"Some on the waterfront. Most are reacting to the attack at Eastfield, though. Those bombs are going to be blamed on us."

"Seems obvious," he said. "We _did_ open fire on the police in the middle of the day. That's not going to be easy to write off. I know you did it to help us, but still." He shook his head and flicked a pebble out into the water. It skimmed seven times – or rather the water pushed up and tossed it seven times before his control faltered. The pebble landed with a splash and was swept under.

Ruby watched him curiously. "What's wrong?"

"Nora has Awakened."

"Nora? The ginger girl from the arcade?" Ruby waited for him to nod and grimaced. "I'm sorry. Is she alive?"

He jerked his head toward the Beacon. "She's inside."

"She's safe, then. That's okay, isn't it? Beacon is the safest place she can be in the middle of a Nightmare. I'm not sure what Ozpin is going to do about this. If we go out to hunt, the cops will be catching us all over Vale. If we stay safe, the Grimm will roam free."

"It's not that. It's Nora's dreams…"

"She's in the Domain of a Grimm?" Ruby sighed. "Does that mean we have to help her kill a Grimm like we did Weiss? That was troublesome enough already and we still need to find Cinder. I'm not trying to be cruel but-"

"Nora is in Cinder's Domain."

Ruby's tirade cut off. Her teeth clicked together. "Oh." Swallowing, she looked out over the reservoir and then back to him. "Oh. That… isn't good. Does Cinder know?"

"Not yet. I think she'd know Nora and I were friends, so she'd have taken over her already if she did."

"And she's newly Awakened. I get it. You're sure it's Cinder?"

"Nora described a hellscape of fire and ash. I'm not sure if it's connected but Nora's Awakening came when we fought Cinder to rescue her. There was fire there at the time and Nora said she couldn't stop remembering it. Those things might be connected."

"What, like people enter Domain similar to the situation in which they Awakened?"

"I think it could be the case."

There was no other evidence to back that up, but his moment of Awakening had been when he'd seen the Grimm in the park. That didn't _sound_ like Leviathan's Domain, but he had been at the waterfront before that point, and the ocean in the Grimm world had Blake's Glade next to it – a forest in its own right.

"If you think about it, it would explain why so many people are in Cinder's Domain. Death by fire is probably more common than other kinds."

"Especially with her forcing her thralls to use firebombs," Ruby pointed out. "You think that's to force more people to Awaken in her Domain? As well as to frame us, I mean. It could be both at once."

"Could be…"

"You're not blaming yourself, are you?"

"Shouldn't I be? The only reason Nora is involved – the only reason at all – is because Cinder wanted to get to me."

"And the only reason _you're_ involved is because Cinder tried to feed you to Leviathan. You survived. That's your only fault in this." Pushing up, Ruby dusted her pants down and planted her hands on her hips. "And we were planning to kill Cinder in her Domain anyway; this just makes it easier. Nora can give us clues on where it is."

"If Cinder doesn't find her first…"

" _When_ she finds her. It's only a matter of time, which means waiting out here moping isn't going to help Nora at all. We should be in there helping." Ruby offered a hand.

He took it and let her pull him up. "You're right, I guess. Sorry for being so useless…"

"It's fine." She shrugged. "I was no better when Yang died."

"That was grief."

"Yeah, and so is this. But it's too early in your case. Save your grief for later."

Action now. Jaune nodded and motioned for Ruby to enter Beacon first, stepping in behind her and letting the familiar and comfortable warmth of the pub wash over him. The atmosphere was stilted somewhat by the tension in the main room. Hunters crowded around tables playing cards, dice or just on their phones. Glasses clinked and cigarette smoke filled the air, mixed with beef and pork from the kitchens.

Ozpin was nowhere to be seen, nor was Nora, but Velvet was behind the counter with an awkward smile. She was pulling back on a lever, filling pint glasses with beer, a tray with six glasses on it already waiting beside her.

"Where's Ozpin?" Ruby asked her.

"Upstairs with Jaune's new friend and Weiss." Velvet topped off the pint and let the foam settle before adding a little more. She placed it down and a tall hunter took it with a muttered word of thanks, taking it back to his table where his friends sat in silence.

"It's not normally this tense, is it? Not even during a Nightmare."

"No…"

"What happened?"

"Ozpin told them they're not to hunt tonight." Velvet leaned over the counter to whisper the words. Her eyes swept from table to table to make sure no one would overhear her. Given that everyone was here, they had to know already but it felt like everyone was trying to stay quiet. "He says the risk is too high and that the police will be out in force."

"No one looks pleased about that."

"No. They're hunters; hunting is what they do. It's always been the rule that you hunt through a Nightmare to keep the people safe. Everyone hates it, but I think they've discovered they hate doing nothing even more."

He could sympathise with them there. Odd, given how against the idea of fighting he'd been at first. Doing nothing only made you feel useless. Ozpin was probably right to hold them back, though. After Ruby's actions at Eastfield, the police weren't going to be going soft on them. With Grimm everywhere, it would be a case of either surrender to the police and be killed by Grimm or fight the Grimm and resist arrest – with all the risk involved with that.

"What about people that Awaken?" he asked. "Aren't there more of those during a Nightmare?"

Velvet looked away guiltily. "They're on their own tonight…"

"Ah…"

He wasn't sure what to say. It explained the sombre mood, not to mention the quiet. Everyone had to know that they themselves, him included, were only alive because a hunter had at one point or another saved them. To know they wouldn't be returning that favour tonight, when the Grimm were truly active, was like spitting in the eyes of those saviours.

People like him, like the first Ruby, like Yang and Nora, would be out there tonight.

And they would die.

 _But if we go out to help them, we'll die as well. Or be arrested, in which case the Grimm will still kill them._ And if the hunters and Beacon fell, there would be even more deaths later. It was easy to think of that and see that Ozpin's decision was the correct one.

That was probably why everyone was upset and not raging or going out there regardless. Everyone knew he was right; they just hated the fact.

"We'll need a room tonight," Ruby said. "Is there one free?"

"Yes. Jaune's friend is staying."

"That's good at least. Jaune and I will share her room with her."

"We will?" he asked. "Wouldn't it be better if you did?"

"Not for sleeping, Jaune. For watching her while _she_ sleeps."

In case she turned. Jaune's mouth was dry. "R-Right. I get it."

Velvet did too and shot him a sympathetic smile. "You should go upstairs. I'll have Oscar bring some food up to you later. There's nothing you can do down here; I think everyone just wants to get drunk and forget they're leaving people alone out there."

"I can't say I blame them…"

/-/

Monsters, demons, eldritch abominations and other dimensions; they were all real.

How was someone supposed to act when learning that? Disbelief? Scorn? Amusement? Nora wondered why she felt none of that, why she accepted it so easily. Because Jaune had changed? Because it explained things? Because she'd seen things that traditional logic didn't have a reason for?

Or was it just that she was too afraid to disbelieve it?

Either way, her fosters would have been thrilled in a strange way. If things like this existed, that proved Christianity did as well. Well, sort of. It would be enough proof for them. Obviously, these monsters were devils and the only protection she needed was her faith and love in the Lord.

Somehow, she didn't think that would be enough here.

"Did you call your fosters?"

Nora looked over to Jaune and nodded, not sure what she thought of him sharing a room with her, even if there were two single beds and he'd taken the couch. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, rather that this was a place with loads of rooms. They'd chosen to share hers for a reason, and that reason wasn't lack of space.

"I told them I'm staying at yours," she said. "I said it wouldn't be safe for us or them to travel with the way things are with the terrorists around. They agreed."

"Just like that?"

"Well…" Nora's lips curled a little. "They did tell me to make sure I protect myself around you lest my `moral character` be sullied and I turn away from the correct path. Something about not being able to raise a good Christian family if I let myself be tempted."

Jaune grimaced. "I won't say I hate your folks, Nora. It's good of them to foster…"

"I know. They're overbearing. Our pastor keeps trying to get them to loosen up on me; even he thinks they're being too strict. It's probably that they've never had children before. They're overcompensating." She shrugged. "Their hearts are in the right place."

And really, it was better than what she'd had before. She couldn't complain.

"Is it true?" she asked.

Jaune looked over. "What?"

"That you're part monster now. Ozpin told me you're part Grimm. You, Ruby and Weiss."

"That's not… I don't think that's accurate." Jaune pursed his lips, something he used to do whenever he was asked a difficult question. Ren would nudge her whenever he did, because Jaune would entirely cut himself off from the world.

It was familiar. Enough so to make her smile.

"It's complicated?"

"Kind of." He laughed. "I don't think I'm part-Grimm, though. I _killed_ a Grimm and possessed its body. Biologically, I don't think that makes me one of them. Spiritually?" He shrugged. "No idea. Your parents would probably know more on that one. I don't think it counts, though. When I'm in my human body, I'm still just me."

"Your eyes glow…"

"Yeah, but Ruby says that's because my eyes are open in two worlds at once. It's literally just because there's sunlight from _that_ would coming through my eyes and you can see that."

That was a weird way of putting it. "Like a window? I can see through your eyes into the other world?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"What's it like?" she asked. At his confused look, she explained. "It's just fire and black rock for me. Smoke as far as the eye can see. What's it like on your end? Is it pretty? Is it a beautiful world?"

"No. It's-" He trailed off. "Actually, maybe it is." Jaune sat on his bed and closed his eyes. She couldn't tell if he was reminiscing or actually _looking_ through his other eyes. "I always thought it was horrible because of what it represented. I was being hunted and I was terrified. But it _is_ a beautiful world. It's untouched by people, so nature is everywhere. Huge forests, picturesque hills and a still ocean that stretches out for hundreds of miles. It's crystal clear. No pollution or trash."

"Hmm. I'd like to see it."

"Maybe you can. We – that's Ruby, Weiss and I – want to get you out of there. If you're Awake in that world, you're always going to be at risk of a Grimm killing you. But if you're in _my_ Domain, you won't be. You can stay there as long as you like."

"Rent free?" she teased.

"Sure. Or you could pay me with conversation. Hell, it'd be fun. Every night would be like a sleepover. You and me, our bodies resting while we go swimming in a big-ass ocean or sunbathe on a beach. Most people would pay out their noses for something like that."

Nora giggled. "It sounds like fun."

If they could manage it. She wasn't blind to the desperate tone of her friend's voice, or the way he clung to those happy thoughts. Another thing was the constant sound in her head. Mr Ozpin had told her about those with Weiss giving examples. Jaune had apparently heard a dripping sound like water, Weiss the sound of a mirror crashing to the ground. They'd asked her what she heard, though Jaune hadn't. She was kind of glad about that.

 _Aaaiyeeeee! Arghhhhh!_

Screaming. Agonised screaming, and occasionally the sound of crackling flesh being burned off a human body. She wasn't sure how she knew the last part so certainly. Wasn't sure she _wanted_ to know how she knew.

The door to the bedroom opened and closed, Jaune's little friend sneaking in. The sister of Yang, she recalled. Her and Ren had helped show her a good time at the arcade to cheer her up. That had been the same day she'd been kidnapped and nearly killed. Ruby had been with Jaune when he came to rescue her, shooting a gun like some Hollywood assassin. John Wick in little girl form.

Seeing her now and knowing everything she did somehow made Ruby even more intimidating. Maybe it was because she could now look at her and see that the little idiosyncrasies she'd assumed were from grief or shyness were instead because she wasn't human and couldn't quite fake being human as well as she thought.

"Ruby." Jaune nodded at her. That, at least, told Nora the girl could be trusted. "Everything in order?"

"As best it can be. Ozpin is hunched over an old radio blaming himself for every reported death that happens tonight. Weiss is going through his theories on the origins of Grimm and drinking enough coffee to keep her awake for a week."

"It's not-"

"Ozpin's fault? Yeah, I know. So does he." Ruby shrugged. "I don't think it'll stop him listening in."

Nora only understood a fraction of what was said. Mainly about deaths. She licked her lips and brought her knees up onto the bed, questioning once more why she was here and being protected while others weren't.

"Nora."

She jumped when Ruby called her name. "Y-Yeah?"

"I take it Ozpin has told you whose Domain you're in."

"Yeah. The one you're after. Miss Farleigh."

"Cinder," Jaune corrected. "Miss Farleigh died years ago. She was murdered when she was a bullied high school student." He sounded angry. Ruby looked to him and he shook his head. "Sorry. Carry on."

"Jaune and I can't find Cinder, however, because we don't know where her Domain is." Ruby sat on the other bed, placing her hands on her knees and leaning forward. "But you're in her Domain and you need to sleep sooner or later. I was hoping you could do a little scouting for us."

Jaune was on his feet and red-faced. "Ruby!"

"It's in her best interest, Jaune," she returned, not at all intimidated by his anger. The girl's silver eyes remained fixed on Nora's. "If you can give us some landmarks to go by or try to see if there's an ocean nearby or something, we can find and rescue you. Or if you _do_ see an ocean, go jump in it. Chances are it's Jaune's. If not, at least tell us if you see any mountains or forests. Something Weiss can use to figure out your location."

"You don't have to-" Jaune tried.

"You do," Ruby interrupted. "Make no mistake, you will _die_ without our help. It may not be today, this week or even this year, but sooner or later she'll find and devour you. Sooner if she realises who you are. Even if you get out of her Domain, if you didn't find a friendly one, you'd just be killed by whatever Grimm you ran into."

"Ruby, that's not fair! You didn't tell _me_ to do that."

"Because I knew where you were. Because I could help. The same with Weiss. We're not refusing to help Nora; we just can't. Not until we know her location."

"Still…" Jaune bit his lip. "This is going to put her at risk."

"She's already at risk. Doing nothing isn't going to stop that."

"Um." Nora raised a hand. "Guys?"

"We've no idea how many people are in Cinder's Domain. Nora can stay hidden if she keeps her head down. Besides, Cinder is distracted with everything going on this end. She isn't going to be paying attention to things there. But if Nora starts acting up, she'll be noticed."

"I'm not asking her to start an insurrection; just to look around."

"I can feel _everything_ that happens in my Domain, Ruby!"

"So can she, but she has _other people_ moving around in there. One more isn't going to draw attention. If it did, she'd be dead already."

"Guys?" Nora tried again.

"You just want to use Nora to get your revenge for Yang!"

"If it helps her _and_ avenges Yang, why not? It'll kill two birds with one stone."

"At the risk of my friend!"

"STOP IGNORING ME!" Nora's yell made Jaune jump. She'd have taken pleasure in that if she wasn't red in the face and panting. "This is _my_ life," she said. "My life is on the line and I understand _nothing_ of what's going on. Stop talking over me and start talking to me!"

Jaune stepped forward. "Nora, it's-"

"Not you," she snapped, pointing at him, then moving her hand to Ruby. "You start. Tell me what you want me to do."

To her credit, Ruby didn't waste time. "I want you to scout out where you are so we can find you, track you down and kill Cinder. Which will also protect you. We have no idea where to start looking otherwise."

Okay, that sounded worrying. Jaune looked like he was itching to speak, literally humming past sealed lips. She was actually kind of surprised he hadn't spoken already, unless she'd discovered a hitherto unknown ability to enforce silence, which she hadn't. "And you, Jaune?"

"I don't want you in danger."

"She's already-"

"Ah, ah, ah!" Nora interrupted Ruby with a finger. "His turn, not yours. Why am I in danger?"

"Because if Cinder realises who you are, she'll devour your soul and take over your body to try and get to us. That'll happen while you're asleep and in her Domain. If you stay hidden, you might be able to avoid being found."

"Might?"

Jaune looked agonised. "There's no guarantee…"

Christ, that was why they were going to sleep in the same room. It wasn't to sleep at all, it was to watch her to make sure she was the same person when she woke up. Suddenly, she remembered that Ruby had a gun somewhere on her person. There was a bullet in it reserved for her.

Her legs felt even weaker than they had a moment ago.

"A-And if you could find her Domain?"

"We'd come immediately to save you."

"To kill Cinder," Ruby countered.

"It's the same thing!" Jaune growled. "Kill Cinder and there isn't a Grimm to hurt you. We could then take you back to my ocean. You'd be safe there. But I don't want you in more risk than you have to be to do that. Cinder _will_ kill you, if not to control you then just to get at me for killing Leviathan."

"Then can't I do both?"

Jaune and Ruby stared at her, confused.

"I… I mean, for the first time I can stay hidden _and_ look around, can't I? It's not like I have to go climbing up stuff and yelling my name out. I can find a spot to hide and look around at the same time. See if there's anything that stands out."

Jaune looked flummoxed.

Ruby nodded. "She _has_ to sleep anyway. Might as well look around."

"Naps," Jaune decided, lips forming a thin line. "I don't want her sleeping the whole eight hours. We'll do two-hour naps and wake her up. If she says she was in danger, we don't send her back for as long as we can."

How long could she avoid sleep? It wasn't something she could just give up.

"As you wish." Ruby waved a hand. "And if she shows any signs of distress, we can wake her up as well." She looked at Nora. "Just look for anything that stands out that we could spot from a distance. The more detail you get, the better."

"Without risking yourself," Jaune added.

Ruby rolled her eyes.

Nora was more grateful for his concern. Not human, she thought, watching Ruby's lack of concern. No matter how much she tried, there was something inhuman about her that shone through. Either way, her options were limited.

"I'll do it." For Jaune's sake and her own, she forced a smile. "And I'll be okay. You'll see."

If she wasn't, Ruby would shoot her.

/-/

 _So, this is hell._

The thought was less funny than it sounded in her head. The broken landscape before her consisted of charred and chipped rock with spurts of what she assumed were noxious gasses polluting the sky and leaving it a dark haze that travelled for what looked like miles, or as far as she could see before it all faded into smoke.

Occasional pits broke up the monotony of the wasteland-like environment, within which fires burned hotly, great plumes of smoke rising above with the regular tongue of flame roaring high into the sky. Others looked like pits of tar perpetually on fire. She expected lava as well but couldn't see anything to support that. It didn't so much look like a volcanic area as the aftermath of an eruption, grassland now turned to ash and fire.

Intellectually, she was sure she shouldn't have been able to survive in such an environment. Those gasses shooting up certainly weren't oxygen alone, and the heat in such a place should have left her struggling to breathe.

"Is this body even real?" She ran her hands down her sides, pinched her wrist then poked her breasts, feeling that yes, her nerves were still there, and she could _feel_ her own fingers, but she didn't feel overly hot or anything like that. "Do I feel this, or do I just think I feel this and so I do?"

She'd never been one for philosophy and the half-hearted attempt couldn't do a thing to cut out the distant screams of someone in intense agony.

Nora shivered.

 _How does someone even feel pain if their bodies aren't real? Would I be burned if I touched the fire here? Best not to try._ Looking around, she turned on the spot. _I need to find a landmark. And preferably somewhere to hide._

The latter wasn't a simple matter. Any vegetation had been burned to ash long ago the ground was flat except for the fiery pits, none of which felt like good hiding spots for someone who didn't want to be immolated.

She picked a direction and started walking. Rock crunched and broke underfoot, brittle like charcoal and ground to black dust with every step. There was no particular choice for the direction she chose, and no way to tell by the sun or anything else. It was hard to even tell where the constant, droning screams came from, so she couldn't pick the opposite.

There was definitely no ocean to be seen – but that didn't mean much. If she wanted to get a better view, she'd have to be higher up and there just didn't seem to _be_ a higher up. The whole area was a flat and desolate wasteland.

"The only landmark is the absolute lack of landmarks. Even a field would have a hedge or a tree to talk about. There's nothing here."

What felt like minutes passed with little fatigue on her part. Nora picked her way around chasms that spat fire and geysers of smoke, ash and gas. Hot air washed over her but never touched her, and she found she could even keep her eyes open as smoke literally blew into her face. It didn't sting and she didn't feel bad from breathing it in.

The ground began to incline slightly. A low hill or rise in the landscape that was so gradual she'd thought it as flat as everywhere else. Walking to the top, she found a single rock to lean on. It was hot to the touch but not painfully so. Standing there, she looked out over the barren area, lips drawing down as she took in the absolute lack of anything remarkable.

No mountains, no hills, no cliffs and no forests. Not even a volcano to explain why the land was like this. About the only good thing was that, in theory, she'd see a huge monster coming a long distance away. The bad thing was that she'd have nowhere to hide other than to lay down near a smoke pit and hope it couldn't see through it.

Which didn't feel likely, since this was where something _chose_ to live, so it was probably adapted to it. Fish didn't exactly drown underwater and all that.

But there was nothing. No monster. Was that because the monster was in the human world now, so its body wouldn't be visible? Maybe it was asleep somewhere – though _where_ was impossible to know. In one of the fire pits? It made some sense, assuming it was a creature of fire and flame.

"What are you doing?"

Nora's heart leapt into her throat. She swallowed a scream and jumped forward, spinning with one hand ready to – actually, she didn't know what she planned to do. Punch a fire monster in the face? It didn't matter either way. There was no monster behind her, rather a man of some fifty or sixty years, hair grey, eyes heavy and face set with exhaustion.

"Y-You scared me," she said, lowering her hand and catching her breath. "You snuck up on me."

"I walked up behind you, young girl. Not my fault you didn't see me coming." He tried a smile for her benefit, but it was so tired, so defeated, that it did nothing more than stretch the wrinkled skin of his face. "And I asked what you're doing out here. She gets angry if we don't gather for her. Those who involve her anger rarely live long enough to regret it."

"Her…?"

"God, of course. Who else do you think I mean?"

"God…?"

"Not _the_ God, not as we know him, but close enough. She's the God of this realm, of our nightmares. Punishment for our sins. I've heard some say it's a test, others punishment. I don't know what to think myself, only that there's no hope but to do what she demands and hope you live long enough to please her."

A fresh scream echoed out over the hellscape, long and high pitched.

"Sounds like another didn't."

"This – This is common…?"

"Are you new here?" The man's eyes filled with sympathy. "I'm sorry, little lady. I didn't know. The screams never stop. When they do, another is brought down to add to them. You'll need to follow me. It's best you fall in line with the rest of us; only thing that'll keep you safe."

"What happens if I stay out here?"

" _She_ comes to find you. It's a test, or so I hear. A way for her to find new souls, or just to punish those who resist." He shivered slightly. "Come, at least if you act the part there's a chance you'll live to see morning. Stay out here and you won't for sure."

Should she? Jaune would say no, but if staying out was worse, she wasn't sure what else there was. Licking her lips and wishing she had something to hold onto for moral support, Nora nodded and fell in behind the much older man. He led her down off the hill and began moving in a given direction, picking his way through the land as if he knew unerringly where he was going.

"Is there anything I should do?" she asked, if only to find comfort in her voice.

"Not much, dear. Stay quiet, don't speak and try not to draw attention, but everyone will be doing that so it might not help. Just don't stand out. Those that do tend to suffer. Some tried chanting once, though to supplicate her with loyalty. Didn't help much. Others tried to offer her things, bribes, adoration or other people as sacrifices. Those, she took, but she demanded more and more, then killed them at the end when they couldn't provide. Deals with the devil don't work. I wouldn't even try it anymore. Mostly, we just wait and hope. You never know when it's your time."

"What happens then?"

"No questions. We're approaching. Stay quiet."

Nora wanted to ask what they were approaching, because as far as she could see nothing had changed. They came over the lip of a small rise, however, and stepped into a crater. There, things changed. Not the landscape itself – it was still rock and ash and fire – but within the crater there was one of the same pits she'd seen all over the place. They might have been connected underground.

The main difference was the throngs of people stood around it. Nothing was similar about them; white, black, Asian and every other ethnicity under the sun. The cultural differences were there, too. Many of them were American and probably from Vale, but she saw some that were _definitely_ from other parts of the world. One woman literally wore clothing out of a rainforest tribe, another was dressed in thick furs and a hood reminiscent of Siberia or some other snowy place. Others wore suits, casual wear, pyjamas and there were even some in their underwear.

No one seemed to care. Everyone was tired, hopeless and standing in a rough circle around the open pit in the centre. No one was so close to it that they could fall or see inside, but no one straggled so far at the back as to be avoiding it either. The old man, who she realised hadn't even given her a name, drew Nora into the crowd, moving so that they were stuck somewhere in the middle.

At a guess, she'd say there were a hundred and fifty to two hundred people.

Way more than Jaune or Ruby suspected.

No one said a word. No one met her eye when she looked in their direction. Most were staring at the floor, though some had their eyes closed, lips moving as they whispered silently to themselves or recanted what she could only assume were prayers.

A loud _whoosh_ of fire roared up from the pit, bathing them all in light. Nora jumped, though no one else did. Silence fell over the crater, silence even, she noticed, from the incessant screams that had filled the world since her arrival. With her face bathed orange, Nora watched the flames rise up into the sky, expecting some horrifying beast to rise with it.

No such creature did. Instead, a single fiery tendril, almost a tentacle, slithered up out of the pit. It flicked about the edge, probing and sensing. Where it touched, the ground sizzled and gave way. Its tip did a full rotation of the pit's edge, looking without eyes at the various people ringing it. Some flinched when it came close, but none dared speak.

It paused when it came to face in her direction. Nora's heart beat faster.

Suddenly, it pushed forward, creeping along the floor. It passed between the legs of a woman who trembled and shook like a leaf, lips moving fervently, and hands linked before her for prayer. Whether hers were answered or not, it didn't stay with her but moved on, slithering through the crowd ever closer. People shied away, though with every step they did, the tentacle paused, hearing, perhaps, their footsteps.

Nora stayed as still as she could, trying futilely to stay calm. Jaune would wake her up. She'd wake up. He had to know she was panicking. If he was feeling her pulse, it must have been _racing_ and he'd know something was wrong.

The slithering tentacle touched her foot.

Nora bit her lip hard.

It moved past her, over her foot, to touch the leg of the man who had brought her there. Slowly, languidly, it wrapped and coiled itself around him, working up his leg until it had wrapped fully around his waist. The old timer sighed, not once trying to escape as he was chosen and lifted up off the floor.

"At least it'll finally be over," he whispered.

Then he was gone, drawn back above the crowd with such speed that Nora could only stare at the space he'd occupied. His body disappeared over the lip of the pit, down into the abyss and fire below, to whatever creature that loathsome tentacle belonged to. There was a sudden burst of fresh fire that heralded his vanishing.

And then, the screams began anew. Long, piercing and agonised.

Nora felt something draw her up.

/-/

Jaune's face filled her vision, afraid. "Nora," he said. "Are you okay? Are you still you?"

Sobbing, she threw herself into his arms.

* * *

 **Tough crowd. And yes, I made Cinder into a tentacle monster. Kinky!**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 28** **th** **July**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	43. Chapter 43

**Here we go.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 43**

* * *

"There was nothing. Nothing but fire."

Nora said the words over and over, and no matter what questions Weiss and Ruby tried, the answers never changed. A land of nothingness, where even the very scenery itself had burned down, where its inhabitants waited with patient cynicism for their turn to be dragged down into fires that burned beneath the ground.

If ever there had been a depiction of hell, Cinder's Domain matched it.

Fitting, perhaps.

"How could there be nothing?" Weiss asked. "Volcanic ground would at least lead to rises in tectonic plates. Mountains, hills or something to go by."

"Human rules," Ruby began.

"I know," Weiss snapped. "But there has to be something. The ground," she tried, turning to Nora. "What was it like? Rocky? Glass-like?"

"It was… dusty. Like a tundra. Grey and white, with occasional bits of black. There were some hills, but they weren't steep, and they were hard to climb up. More like shallow inclines. Or even dunes." Nora considered the word, then nodded. "Yes, they were like sand dunes."

"Sand…?" Weiss' brows drew down. "So, it was a desert?"

"Yes. No. I… I don't know. It's hard to remember everything. I just remember the screams. They were never ending." Nora wrapped her arms around herself, at least until Jaune wrapped his around her and she buried her face in his neck.

Ruby and Weiss didn't push her. Instead, they looked to one another.

"Sand?" Weiss asked again. "Do you know of a desert in your world, Ruby?"

"No, but it might not be a desert at all. Nora said it was _like_ sand, not that it was. I can think of something that might cover a landscape born from the incineration of any and all living matter. Something that might be belched continuously in plumes of smoke."

"Ash." Weiss grimaced. "A whole landscape covered in ash and soot."

Ruby nodded.

It was likely more of the former, especially if the fires burned as hot as Nora suggested. If Cinder's Domain truly was fire and ash, it would make sense for her to expand her Domain through it, or perhaps the ash was a natural result of the fire. Either way, what vegetation that might have existed would have been smothered beneath it long ago, burning itself under the weight of hot ash.

Over the years, or decades, that would collect and build up into natural dunes; a landscape born of nothing but ash, marked occasionally by pits leading down into the fire.

"I could look for smoke," Weiss said. "If there aren't any landmarks to go by, the smoke is better than nothing and should be visible for some distance. I might be able to use light to scout for it, too. Smoke distorts light. There may be some way for me to sense that."

"You'll want to be quick about it," Ruby said, watching Jaune try to comfort his friend.

He held onto her, whispering to her that it would be okay, but Nora was no fool and knew the words were but empty promises. He could not advise her to sleep lest she face the same again and staying awake was no more an option for it would leave her exhausted and, if the words of the one who had perished were true, might well alert Cinder to a malcontent within her Domain.

The girl was understandably terrified, and Ruby made no effort to convince her to be anything else. To try would be an insult to her intelligence. That didn't stop Jaune, of course. Concern did strange things to a person, she supposed. It certainly had for her, a Grimm, who had fallen in love so wholly with a human.

Love in so far as a Grimm could, anyway. Yang had been her sister, her family, her love, her everything. Not romantic, no mate, but something far, far more. At least Yang had died fighting and died with her soul intact. It was more than Nora had before her.

"Search as quick as you can," she said. "She cannot wait for you to take your time."

"I'll go now," Weiss said, rising to her feet. Her eyes strayed to Jaune and Nora, perhaps wondering if she should say something to them – make some false promise or offer painful hope. In the end, she chose not to, shaking her head and leaving to her own room within Beacon.

Ruby thought that better. Actions would speak louder than words.

"You can probably sleep," she said. "There's nothing else you can do."

"Ruby! How can you say that!?"

A little surprise ran through her at Jaune's angry retort. Had she said something wrong? "I didn't mean to suggest she give up," she said, "Only that there's nothing to gain from staying awake. She has to sleep eventually. If Cinder incinerates someone once a day, she is safe for a time."

Nora began to sob and Jaune held her, glaring over her shoulder at Ruby.

 _More proof I'm no use at acting like a human. Yang always did wonder why I made no friends in middle school. Come to think of it, Jaune and Yang were the only ones who ever thought I seemed human._

Neither were good judges. Yang was biased due to her love for her, while Jaune hadn't exactly been in what one would call a `sound mind` when they'd met. Chased by monsters and hunted by Cinder, he probably hadn't paid much attention to how she acted.

"Weiss is looking for Cinder's Domain," Ruby tried again, speaking a little softer. "She's looking for great amounts of smoke. If Nora were there, Weiss could take her to safety if she found her. And it's probably best Nora get what sleep she can, even if it's uneasy."

Jaune continued to scowl her way.

"I'm not sure I could sleep…" Nora whispered.

"If you don't know, you'll want to later – and it would be safer to sleep directly after she's had her sacrifice. Ozpin has medicine which can knock her out almost immediately if falling asleep is an issue. Also, tonight is a Nightmare. If Cinder is going to be busy on any night, it will be this one. She has to keep the captured hunters safe for the FBI. She can't afford to stay in the Grimm world all night."

"Ruby…" Jaune warned.

"N-No, it's fine." Nora tried to sound confident and honestly came nowhere close. Aside from the tearstained cheeks and pale face, her hair was a mess and she was shaking badly. "C-Can I have some of that medicine?"

Ruby took a flask of juice Ozpin had already provided, making a show of opening the top drawer of his desk and removing a vial. She let them see the powder drip within and dissolve. It had been for her once-upon-a-time, though they'd used it on Jaune, and even Weiss took it at times, when she wanted to slip into the Grimm world more freely.

Nora took it with shaking hands, staring down into the liquid with haunted eyes.

"This really is the safest moment you'll ever have in that world," Ruby whispered.

The mug tipped back. The contents were drained between the girl's lips, her throat bulging as she swallowed it all in one swift motion. It was hardly instantaneous; Nora had more than enough time to put the mug back on the side – she fumbled it and it fell, but Jaune caught it – and then lean back on the bed. She kept one hand in Jaune's, eyes on him.

"Stay with me?" she pleaded.

"I'll be here until you fall asleep," he promised. "And I'll sleep in the same room tonight."

Unwise. While the odds were low, what would he do if Cinder _did_ find and possess Nora? She would have to stay in the room as well, and they'd need to run shifts. Or she could stay awake all night. It wasn't like she had a life or cover to try and keep.

Ruby stayed quiet while Nora laid back. She kept her eyes open for as long as humanly possible, shaking frightfully whenever weariness would make them stutter. Then, they would snap open again and she would look around, stiffening in the bed. Jaune stroked her forehead, whispered to her and promised his continued presence.

Eventually, Ozpin's concoction worked its magic and she fell into a slumber.

Back to her world of ash and fire.

"You'll be okay," Jaune whispered softly to her, before he rounded on Ruby, eyes narrowed and words not quite so kind. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

Ruby blinked, confused. "What do you mean?"

"You- I…" Jaune gritted his teeth and looked away. "Forget it. You wouldn't understand; just say it's human concerns or something stupid. But sending Nora back to that place when she's _clearly_ terrified of it. That's wrong."

"I know that, Jaune, but I wasn't lying. At least this way if she is too afraid to sleep tomorrow night, she will be rested enough to make that decision and stay awake. If she remained awake tonight, she would have fallen asleep in your school tomorrow. Suddenly falling asleep, panic, troubled dreams. Those are signs that the hunters look out for." Ruby leaned forward. "Signs Cinder might now be looking out for as well."

"Signs of Awakened…?"

"Yes." Ruby drew her feet up onto Ozpin's couch and wrapped her hands around her knees. "Did you notice the strange thing about Nora's recollection? The strange thing about Cinder's Domain?"

"You mean apart from the fact it's a fucking wasteland of ash and dead bodies, probably charred bones and flesh of souls sacrificed by her over God knows how long?"

"Yes. That!"

Jaune flinched. "What?"

"Just that," she said, not sure why he hadn't made the connection. Or had he just been ranting? "Cinder already has the body of Alexander Nikos. I don't know who the old man she killed was, but I doubt he was better placed than what she already has. And she can't keep more than one body at once – that's just not possible."

"It isn't…?"

"The term `Awakened` isn't used lightly, Jaune. When you dream, you enter the Grimm world. Because you have a Grimm body, you enter that. It's the same with us. I'm dreaming right now. My real form is asleep. Floating in your ocean, in fact."

"I know." Jaune's nose twitched. "I can feel you."

Ruby wondered what he thought of that. It was a deeply intimate thing to have someone reside within your Domain. Not to cross over it or intrude for a while as she and Jaune had on Blake and Adam's Glade, but to truly reside.

No one had ever done so in hers. It was a rotting, cloying and dying land warped by her power. She liked his more. Even if it lacked life, there being no fish to speak of, the gentle lapping of the waves was soothing. The sounds and smells equally so. Shaking her head, she continued.

"I can't _choose_ where to dream and neither can you. There is but one Awakened world and one Dream world. For you, the dream is _my_ world. For me, the dream is _yours_."

"So, even if you or I had more bodies, we couldn't pick which dream to enter?"

"No. It's… I think the word is `binary` for you. There are two states; awake and asleep. Awake, you exist in your world, asleep, you dream. There is no forked path or option. Do you remember what your dreams were like before? Myriad fantasies, nightmares and random fancies of imagination. I bet you've not had a single one since."

"I haven't," he admitted. "Does that… Can I not dream anymore?"

"You can, but you only have the one dream. As do I. As does Cinder." Ruby leaned forward again, resting her chin on her knee. "So the question remains, what is the point of devouring another person's soul if you already have a body?"

"I don't know. Do you?"

Ruby shook her head. If she did know, she'd not have asked. "Someone like Blake might kill them because she's territorial. Others because they're less intelligent and acting on instinct. But that doesn't fit Cinder. Anything she does, she does for a reason."

"Would it make her stronger in some way?"

"I don't think so. We don't grow in any way when we devour souls. There's no strength in it, other than the act of gaining a new body." Ruby bit her lip. "I'd have said it was to instil fear in the people she has, but Nora already said they were defeated."

"Feels wasteful," Jaune agreed. "And Cinder definitely doesn't strike me as that."

"Then there's a reason. There must be. And if she's taking the time out of a Nightmare to make sure she does it…"

"It's an important reason. Or to her, anyway." Jaune looked down on Nora and frowned. "Which means _we_ want to stop it, whatever the purpose. That's why you want Nora back there so quickly. You want her to see what's changed after the sacrifice. So she can figure out what the effects of it really are."

Ruby nodded. "Yes."

"That's still a dick move, Ruby."

"I know. Hopefully, I'll be able to make it up to her by rescuing her. But that won't happen unless Weiss finds the smoke or Nora finds a landmark capable of leading Weiss to her. Neither is going to happen if we do nothing."

Jaune knew that, she was sure, but he didn't agree. Or didn't do so out loud. He couldn't, she supposed, without making it seem like he was willing to risk his friend. Ruby sat back and let him go back to stroking his friend's face.

Her gun rested on Ozpin's desk, ready to be used if all went wrong.

/-/

Knowing now that the floor beneath her was ash made walking through it even more terrifying. Every footstep had her wondering if it was the burned remains of a human soul – though how a `soul` could be burned into something physical like ash, she didn't know. _Different rules for a different world. Ruby and Jaune keep saying that._

The screams were back, low and seemingly everlasting. There was a masculine tint to them; a voice she recognised from the poor old man who tried to help her. His words on it `finally being over` were proven false, for it was clear his suffering continued.

And there was nothing she could do for him.

"Be strong, Nora," she whispered, rubbing her arms. "Be strong." The mantra didn't help as much as she'd have liked.

Crossing over another shallow rise in search of landmarks to work by, she spotted two figures huddled at the centre of a basin, almost a crater where ash appeared to have been pushed up in a circle around it, creating a wall. There was no fiery pit at the centre, and she made her way down, more for the prospect of company than anything else. The two paused upon hearing her footsteps. One of them shuffled aside, making room for her without a word.

Nora sat, waiting for them to say something. Both were American; she could tell from the Red Sox jersey the man wore, and a small patch flag of the stars and stripes on the shoulder of a leather jacket worn by the woman, whose hair was dyed lime green. They had their eyes down, attention focused on the ground between them.

There, a tiny green shoot peeked up from the ash. It was small and tentative, with a closed bulb on the top and the beginnings of a single leaf reaching out from the stem.

It was the first bit of plant life in the area.

A sudden blast from the left made her jump. The man and woman didn't, sitting still as a plume of black smoke roared up a few hundred metres away. The black smoke reached up into the sky and spread ominously, likely cast by one of the smoke and fire geysers she'd seen before. It covered the sky, adding to the already thick layer of smog.

Something warm brushed against her arm. Nora brought it up, watching as a flake of ash drifted over her fingertips and fell to the ground. It was followed by another, then another, before ash began to fall like snow, drifting and flickering before their faces. The shoot, bright and vibrant, was smothered and buried, forced down by the sheer weight of the ashfall. Nora leaned forward, brushing the ash away and digging it out, cupping her hands over it to offer some scant protection.

"It's a nice thought," the girl said, "But it won't change anything."

"The ash falls day after day," the man said. "Cast from the eternal flame that burns below."

Nora swallowed. "You've been here a while, then?"

"A year," the girl replied.

"Two," the man said.

She wasn't sure if that was good to hear or not. If they'd been here a while and stayed alive, she was surely going to be okay for a few nights. Unless her identity was found out, that was. Nora held back the introduction she'd been planning. There was no telling if they'd betray her or not.

"I'm new," she said instead. "This is my first night. But I saw… I saw what happened earlier. Is that… Does that happen every night?"

"No." The man spoke, wrapping his hands around his legs and staring at the little speck of greenery. "Every three nights. Used to be once a week, then once every six days. Five, four. The number of days counts down as the ash grows. Now, it's every three. Soon, it will be two, and then one. One day, it may be every hour."

"When the ash grows?"

"The ash." He scooped some of it up and let it fall between his fingers. Beneath, Nora made out the faintest sign of dry mud and rock, but it was quickly covered. "It engulfs the land, cast into the sky by the eternal fires where it falls down and chokes the land. The amount grows with each new person burned as fuel."

"Fuel?"

"That's what she called us. She doesn't often speak, but a week past she rose and demanded those from the city of Vale make themselves known. Said she had an `opportunity` for them to avoid being used as fuel."

The opportunity must have been the terrorist attacks Ozpin and Weiss told her about. The `fuel` thing sounded like a slip of the tongue, but she kept hold of it. "Is she trying to smother any plants from growing? Is that why she wants the ash?"

"Land." The woman spoke, pointing up to the sky. "The ash falls further and further, spreading once it builds up enough. Sometimes it falls like an avalanche on nearby land, and sometimes it's blown there by the wind. Either way, the ash spreads. More land comes under her sway."

"The bigger the land," the man said, "The more ash is needed to cover it. The more ash is needed, the more fuel must be burned."

"It's a land grab?"

He shrugged. "We're not told. Maybe."

"Nothing can survive being buried beneath ash. Plants, animals, creatures. It all chokes, burns or is buried alive – and _she_ claims what remains." The girl smiled bitterly. "We're safe for tonight, I think. She never demands two sacrifices in a row. As long as you're not from that place, you're okay."

"Vale?" Nora asked nervously.

"Hm. I'm from Boston," the man said. "Close enough, but there were enough people from Vale that she didn't care. I kept quiet and she didn't recognise my jersey. Doubt something like that watches baseball. Lot of people from Vale, though. I mean, a lot of people. You have folk from all over the world yet seems like a good fifth of people here are from that city. A cursed place, I say."

"I'm from Philly," the girl said.

"Florida," Nora lied. "Hey, you said you've been here a while, right? Do you remember anything about what the land _around_ this one was like? Any mountains, rainforests or anything?" She licked her lips. "Is there an ocean nearby?"

"The ocean? Not that I know of. Would be nice to go for a swim…"

"You ever think of trying to leave?"

The girl laughed. "You kidding? Who hasn't? You think we just sit here waiting to die? Loads of people have tried to get out. _She_ doesn't let us. You think this place is bad, the outer skirts are huge dunes of ash that build up like ravines. The fires burn hottest there and she can sense _everyone_ who goes near. Last people to try, the ground opened up under them and they were all swallowed into the fire."

"Burned for three weeks without a sacrifice," the man whispered. "The screams were louder than ever and went on for so long." He closed his eyes, recalling it. "You get someone who tries to escape every now and then. Never heard of anyone making it. She's underground right now. This whole place is hollowed out."

"You never know where she is, assuming she isn't everywhere at once," the girl said. "Only ever see small bits of her come out the ground, so she could be as big as the entire area, growing ever larger underground. Best thing you can do is stay quiet and hope you're not chosen."

 _What if I have friends on the outside,_ she wanted to ask. _What if I knew people could come help us?_

The words danced on the tip of her tongue but never quite came forth. What if these two decided the best way to keep themselves alive was to report her to Cinder? What if they sold her out to save their souls? They weren't beholden to her. They owed her nothing.

An ever-expanding world of ash, swallowing up the lands around them.

A fire that burned and consumed human souls to add to the ash; fuel for a fire that burned the world into something resembling her own. If a single soul could make it burn for a few days, she wondered how long seven _billion_ souls would burn for. Long enough to cover the Grimm world in ash and leave her the undisputed ruler? Wouldn't that just choke out the world and leave her alone? She'd had a mate, or so Jaune told her.

Unless…

One world for Cinder, a world of ash and fire. A second world for Leviathan, a world – Earth – that was already two thirds water.

"Do you know what she wanted the people from Vale to do?"

"Serve her. They get to avoid the fire as long as they do what she asks. Well, except the one guy. She snapped him up and ate him alive. I thought the fires sounded bad, but his cries. God, I can still remember them."

Nora shivered. "A-And what were the rest ordered to do?"

"Set fires, burn people, bomb places. I've seen the news, even from Boston. Haven't you?"

"I might have heard about it. I'm just wondering why. What does she gain from it?"

"There's been a lot more people turning up here since it happened," the girl said. "People like you." She laughed. "More kindling for the fire."

/-/

" _Chaos all over the city of Vale, with fires, arson and claims – unsubstantiated at the moment – of wild animals seen in the streets. Emergency services are reported to be stretched thin. Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander Nikos of Vale City Police has advised people to stay home and not panic, citing the rumours of animal attacks as malicious pranks costing lives. We have a caller here from Vale, who claims otherwise. Jenny, you're on line one. Now, you say you-"_

" _I know what I saw! It was a huge beast, black as night with glowing eyes. A bear or a wolf. It was coming straight down the street towards me! It got my friend. It caught her!"_

" _Miss, what is-"_

" _It hit a car. Knocked it straight off the road. No one else seemed to care til then, but they did when the car went spinning. Sally looked back. Stopped running. It got her. I – I couldn't do a damned thing. W-When I called the police, they told me not to waste their time. I can't believe it."_

" _Jenny, you say no one else reacted. How sure can you be that what you saw was real?"_

" _Sure!? How sure? I watched my fucking best friend be-"_

" _And we'll have to cut Jenny off there, I'm afraid. Our condolences to her for the car accident that claimed her friend's life. Here on line two, we have Andre, who claims to have also seen a wolf-like animal creature prowling outside his home. Andre, you've been very vocal when you called in. What can you tell us about the creature you saw?"_

"…"

" _Andre?"_

"…"

" _Excuse us, ladies and gentlemen it seems we're having some technical-"_ A loud, wet, cracking sound burst through the line, followed by more silence and the nervous breathing of the radio host. A moment later, he continued, _"T-Technical difficulties there from our end. Please rest assured, listeners, we will be passing our caller's information on in the event anything has happened. We have a few other callers. Sean, are you there?"_

" _I am."_

" _Oh, thank goodness. Sean, you have some thoughts about the statement from Alexander Nikos of the Vale City Police Department. Is that right?"_

" _I do. I think that statement they've given out is hyped-up BS-"_

" _Sean, please remember our listeners."_

" _It's a puff piece. Malicious pranks? We have people dying all over Vale, and this isn't an isolated case. If you look back last two years, there have been a lot of people claiming animal attacks late at night – not to mention bodies found with great claw marks rent through them. The police have always blamed it on something. When do we start to accept it might be the truth?"_

" _Vale does not have any zoo, Sean, and the local area isn't exactly one for bears, wolves or any wild animals big enough to cause this kind of damage. You have to admit, it's somewhat a fantastical claim."_

" _And buildings crying blood, hurricanes and tsunamis cutting out the reservoir isn't? Vale has been the epicentre of unusual happenings for the last month or two, but the strange events go back further. You just need to look for them."_

" _Sean, are you pushing conspiracy theories?"_

" _Is it a conspiracy if it's actually happening-? Terrorists called hunters. Monsters in the streets. Blood, storms and hurricanes that `only` effect Vale. Tell me how that's normal? Either the military is testing something, the CIA is up to their usual shit or there's something more going on. Open your eyes, people. Wake up!"_

" _And we'll be cutting Sean off there. A troubling night for all in Vale. Again, we warn everyone to stay in their homes and report anything unusual they see to the police."_

Ozpin reached out and flicked off the radio. Tired eyes strayed to the clock beside it, which chimed midnight. Only a few hours since the Nightmare began and already the consequences were falling upon the undefended citizens of Vale.

He rubbed his face, pinching his brow and drawing a mug of hot chocolate to his lips. The rich and bitter taste didn't soothe him as it might once have. This had been his decision, and thus the consequences rested on his shoulders. The Hunters could not hunt, and so the Grimm ran free, slaughtering whatever they could find.

But of course, that was the reality. So many Awakened would die tonight, and the seeds of belief, of suspicion and paranoia, would be spread among the populace. Already, Cinder perpetuated it, casting doubt upon the police's ability to handle the threat, and the honesty of their claims. It would not surprise him had the final caller been under her sway.

Wake up. Open your eyes. Such innocent words. He wondered how many would do just that, and whether those people, young, old, innocent or not, would face their ends this night. What would the influx of souls do to the barrier, and how would it hold in the coming days?

Or would it?

"Do not wake up. Stay asleep. The waking world is not one any of you should aspire to witness…"

Sudden knocking at the door brought his attention up from his desk. A book, one written by himself and only half-complete, fell to the side. His research had never borne fruit and no amount of re-reading it helped. He steadied himself, hoping to portray a slightly more inspiring figure to his guest.

"Come in."

"Ozpin." Velvet pushed the door open and poked her head inside, face pale and worried. "You need to come outside! You have to see this!"

His chair scraped back. He followed her, rushing down the stairs to the dining area, where over a hundred hunters stood, many crowded at the windows, curtains drawn open and muttering to themselves. Outside, he heard more voices and his heart hammered. He knew it could not be the police or the hunters would be more worried. He pushed ahead of Velvet, sliding around her and to the corridor, pushing outside into the cool night air.

Throngs lined the water's edge, crowded around the railings. They pointed and yelled, shouting and speaking so loudly the words could not be made out. Cameras flashed bright and sudden, glinting from easily fifty phones at once. Ozpin turned, following their gaze, and gasped.

There, in the centre of the Quabbin Reservoir, the lighthouse stood, mists coiling around its base. The stone walls were covered in lichen and mould and the windows at the top were shattered and smashed, decrepit and broken. The light that had guided so many hunters to his door no longer shone.

And it was visible to all.

* * *

 **Definitely not ominous.**

 **Not at all. And I'm sure Mr `appearing lighthouse` won't make it harder to keep people from Awakening. This is the kind of story where I keep wanting to switch to Cinder's PoV to show what she is up to, but at the same time I can't. Her plans are the kind that would be revealed so easily if we saw her PoV.**

 **Not that I haven't given clues and I'm sure a lot of people are figuring it out already, but that doesn't make it any better to have her reveal it.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 4** **th** **August**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	44. Chapter 44

**Major thunderstorms have hit England. No doubt our politicians will blame it on the EU. I'm going to blame it for the length of this chapter, though, as it's been power cut after power cut after power cut.**

 **And yes, had I checked the weather I could have charged up a laptop, but I didn't think to.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 44**

* * *

"Jaune! I need you now!"

It wasn't the fact Ozpin was calling him that prompted him to action, more the note of absolute _terror_ in his voice. Jaune stood, looking helplessly down at the sleeping Nora he'd promised to stay beside.

Ruby touched his shoulder. "Go. I'll watch her."

"But I promised-"

"Ozpin wouldn't be calling you if it wasn't important."

That was enough for him. With a nod to her and one last glance at the peacefully sleeping Nora, he barged out the door, almost colliding with Ozpin who had just come storming up the stairs. He flinched back but Ozpin caught him, the old man's eyes wide and wild.

"The lighthouse has come to our world!"

"W-What?"

"Look!" Ozpin dragged him to the nearest window and all but pushed his face up against it.

There, out in the reservoir, the lonely lighthouse stood. The mist around its base had begun to dissipate for the first time he'd ever seen, and the structure looked more real. He could just make out the shapes of the stones, not to mention the lack of light on top.

"It's real-?"

"That's what we need to find out. And before anyone else does." Ozpin dragged him down the stairs. "I need you to get me there immediately – and to prevent anyone else approaching until we're sure it's safe."

"Prevent, how?"

"A current. A storm. Anything. Capsize any vessel they try to bring."

Capsize? That was sure to be unnatural enough to frighten people into Awakening, but he could see Ozpin was more afraid of what might be found _on_ the lighthouse. With all the freak storms Vale had experienced, perhaps one more would go unnoticed. Jaune stared out at the water and drew a deep breath. Slowly, the still surface began to move.

 _I'll make it gradual. That way, people might think it natural. Not that there's much hope of that with a lighthouse basically appearing out of nowhere._ There was no good way to spin this. People were going to have questions.

Ozpin drew them out a back door of the Beacon, one leading to a shed where several drum barrels of booze were stored. A door at the back was locked by a padlock on the inside, which Ozpin quickly entered the code into and snapped open. The cool night air washed over them, replete with a tang of sea air.

They weren't near the ocean.

"The city won't sit idle. We need to get there before anyone else does. Can you do that?"

"Yes." I hesitated on the edge, then took Ozpin's arm in hand. "I can drag us both through the water. How long can you hold your breath?"

"Long enough. Wait." He took out his phone and wallet, leaving them on the side. "I'm good to go. Focus not on my discomfort. Only get me there."

Nodding, Jaune took Ozpin's arm and tugged them back, tipping them into the water with a quiet splash. The current, manipulated by his power, swept them out into the water and away from the pier at a speed that couldn't be matched. Bubbles rushed past his face, but he kept an eye on Ozpin, ready to bring them up if he looked to be struggling. His face remained motionless, eyes closed and fingers gripping at Jaune's sleeve.

It felt long, but the journey only lasted twenty-five to thirty seconds. A rocky landmass he _knew_ hadn't been there before reared up and his currents splashed against it. He brought the two of them to a stop, kicked up and broke the surface.

Ozpin gasped for breath but had the presence of mind to pull himself up the rocks. Given how late it was, it was unlikely anyone from the shore could have seen them. Jaune dragged himself up behind, taking stock of the lighthouse itself.

The thing wasn't large or even all that sensical by a lighthouse's standards. In his head, a lighthouse was made up of two parts – the tower and the house. This had a shack at the base, but it was just that. Stone, but small and hardly fit for someone to live in. More, the island itself wasn't large enough to allow for anything more. It was a collection of rocks forming a landmass only big enough for the lighthouse. Even the `shore` they were on was so close he could lay flat and touch the wall.

"We must hurry," Ozpin said, coughing as he pushed up and let water drip down onto the ground. "There's no telling if this thing will disappear once the Nightmare ends, and I do not want us here if it does."

That was a terrifying thought. "What are we looking for?"

"Anything." Ozpin pushed the wooden door open. It creaked for a moment, then splintered and fell off its hinges, crashing to the floor. "This place is ancient. Not that it would have been difficult to tell that. I very much doubt anything will be alive here."

"Maybe I should go first just in case…"

"Hm. A good idea." Ozpin gestured for him to go ahead. "Keep the waters rough, however. We don't want anyone seeing something they should not."

Jaune nodded and looked back. Already, the water had begun to grow choppy, waves kicking up and splashing against the boulevard. It would be enough to stop anyone trying to swim it, and he'd be able to feel if any vessels entered his Domai- the reservoir. Stepping past Ozpin, he entered the shack with a hand held up defensively.

The inside was abandoned. There was dust everywhere, enough so that a single step kicked up a cloud that had him coughing. That disturbed more, throwing dust out the doorway and past a patiently waiting Ozpin.

"This will be evidence we've been here," Ozpin said, entering once the dust was gone.

"S-Sorry."

"It can't be helped, and it's the least of our worries." He looked around the interior with a grimace. There was little more than a table, a stool and a cot in the corner, all of which were hewn from rough wood. Anything else had long since rotted away. "Do you see what I see?"

"That someone loved here, and that someone was human-sized? Yes, I noticed."

"More than human-sized, I'm sure. Lighthouses, chairs, tables and beds are human constructions. I won't write away the possibility for a civilisation in another world to develop them on their own, yet I find it unlikely in this case."

"You think a human civilisation lived on the Grimm world?"

"No. I do not." Ozpin nudged the bed with one foot and looked under it, perhaps for anything hidden there. He came back up with a frown. "Not even insects, despite that a rotting place like this should be ideal for them. As for a civilisation, I think you would have seen more evidence of them if that were true. And this is hardly civilised construction." He indicated the bed. "It isn't even held together by nails, and the cloth is woven branches. That doesn't speak of civilised people. It speaks of an amateur doing what he can to survive."

Hence a stool over a chair. It was easier to make. Now that Ozpin had pointed it out, he could see the signs of it everywhere. In the wobbly shape of the table, the thick trunk-like legs of the bed and the lack of other items. It wouldn't have surprised him if the bed was literally just _resting_ atop four stumps acting as legs. Everything looked like it was made by someone who had an idea of what they wanted to create, but not the expertise or materials to do so.

"Yet he built a lighthouse," Jaune said. "That's not exactly easy."

"For the average person, no. But what if our mystery individual was a builder or stonemason? Or perhaps he or she found it. There's no way to tell." Ozpin finished his circle of the room and sighed. He moved to the open archway leading up to a stone staircase. "Though I have to say, building a staircase? Even gathering so much stone, let alone moving it? That stretches my mind."

No kidding. Jaune felt he might be able to make a square hut if he was given the materials and his life depended on it. Something squat and square, with diagonal beams and a wooden ceiling. He didn't know where to begin on something like this, and even if the builder was a professional, where did he find all the stone? How did he work it into shape and move such huge blocks on top of one another to build upwards?

"And in the Grimm world," he murmured. "Who could live there?"

"Anyone who has Awakened." Ozpin tested a step and then moved up when it held. "Your friend is currently existing there right now. Perhaps someone chose to be a little more pro-active with their nights. Or perhaps this was a call for aid."

"Aid…?"

"Why else do you light a signal fire that shines through the night? Our mystery individual must have thought themselves the only person in existence. This may have been an attempt to draw people to help him."

"Or to warn them away," Jaune said. "That's the purpose of a lighthouse, after all."

"Or that. Of course, the question then becomes `what` was our person trying to warn people away from? Leviathan? This obviously exists in an ocean of some kind, and yours would fit."

He'd never seen a lighthouse in his travels, but then he couldn't claim to know every last foot of my ocean, either. He could sense when someone entered it and it became disturbed, but if this was diverting currents in his Domain, it had been doing so for long before he took over. It wouldn't feel out of place.

 _Weiss would be better for finding this than me._

"What does it mean that it's visible now?" he asked.

"I've no idea." Ozpin climbed the stairs slowly, careful to test each one before putting his weight on it. "I have theories but there is little evidence to back them up."

"What's your best?"

"That the lighthouse exists within the Grimm world, and does so roughly at the spot the Quabbin Reservoir does in ours. That our worlds are… not connected, but parallel. That it could be seen before by the Awakened was a sign that the barrier between worlds has weakened. That it can be seen and interacted with now by anyone? That is a poor omen."

"Just a theory, though."

"It's not something I want to see tested."

The top floor of the lighthouse was closed off by a wooden hatch. Ozpin pushed up against it and grunted, motioning for him to come forward and help. Jaune did so, standing beside him and bracing his hands against the wood. It was heavy. Or the wood had expanded when it became wet and rotten. Either way, he and Ozpin had to strain against it.

"Rotted through…"

"Then break it with me," Ozpin grunted. "Heave!"

They pushed together and the wooden latch moved up a little. It rocked and opened, then closed again – but they had the measure of it and heaved suddenly. The hatch swung open, flung upward, and Ozpin and Jaune stumbled forward.

A gruesome, upside down, face greeted them.

"Arghhh!" Jaune screamed and jumped back, hitting the wall.

"God!" Ozpin gasped, more measured but no less surprised. He held a hand to his chest as the bloated and dead body slipped down, falling onto the staircase with a horrible _splat_. It rolled down toward them. Jaune leapt back even further, afraid to touch it, but Ozpin stopped it with one foot.

It was – had been – a man. It was impossible to tell the age, only that it was an adult and older than thirty. The face was sunken, the eyes missing, gone entirely, and the skin was still whole but bloated and sticky-looking.

Jaune gagged, clamping a hand over his mouth.

"It's okay," Ozpin said. "He's quite dead."

"T-That's not okay!"

"No. It's not." Drawing out a handkerchief and holding it over his nose and mouth, Ozpin knelt and touched the man's skin. "He must have died atop the hatch. It was his body we were struggling with. How cruel a fate."

"W-Why would he die up there?"

"Waiting and hoping for rescue, choosing his final resting place or escaping something that worked its way into the lighthouse. There are multiple explanations but that is the wrong question to ask, Mr Arc. The correct question is, why is his _physical body_ here? This is no soul. This body is real."

Jaune made to ask what Ozpin meant, only for the realisation to strike before he could. When he went into the Grimm world – and Nora, Weiss and everyone else they knew – they did so as a spirit. As a being of soul. He'd been injured in his human form in the Grimm would and much like the Grimm in _their_ world, it didn't stick. There was no body to injure, no blood to bleed.

This. This was a human body. A brutalised human body.

"He _physically entered_ the Grimm world," Ozpin said. "Or was born there, but I'll discount that given his knowledge of lighthouses and furniture. How? Why?" He hesitated. "Or when? Was this recent? If it were at the Quabbin Reservoir – well, it can't have been. Someone would have noticed a body going missing here."

"It has to be recent. His body hasn't decomposed."

"I'm not sure that means anything. Look at how there were no insects downstairs, no signs of life. You've even said yourself that your ocean has no fish within it, possibly no microbial life as a result. Ecosystems cannot exist without other ecosystems to support it. With creatures in the Grimm world not dying, or not leaving bodies when they do, would anything exist to take advantage of a fallen human?"

No maggots or worms, no, but not everything to do with decomposition relied on those things. Still, Ozpin wasn't wrong. Different rules for the different world. It was hard to imagine someone could build a lighthouse in the Quabbin Reservoir, go missing, and no one would pay attention.

"The top seems mostly abandoned," Ozpin said, leaving the body to look up through the hatch. "It's a log signal fire in a brazier. Nothing quite as exciting as a modern lighthouse. There's a broken mug up here, though. Suggests to me he died knowingly and not due to some attack."

Lost, alone and wanting one last view of the ocean before he died.

Morbid. He couldn't take his eyes off the eyeless sockets of the man at his feet, even as Ozpin checked the floor above. The old man rummaged around up there, talking to himself. Suddenly, he came hurrying back, feet banging against the floor. He dove into the hole, just as a beam of light shone over from above, casting shadows down into the stairway.

"What-?"

"Helicopter. I should have expected it." Ozpin pushed his back against the wall. "They've realised they can't get a boat here and taken other means. Or _she_ has. It is a police copter."

Cinder. His heart clenched. "Do you think she'll land?"

"On this tiny island? I hope she tries. But I doubt she is there, more that she is sending her people to investigate. I imagine she knows more of what this means than we do. Either way, we may have to cut our visit short."

"Without finding anything…"

"I wouldn't say there is nothing to be found. This man tells a story of his own." Ozpin knelt and stared at his face, likely committing it to memory. After, he opened the man's jacket and began to look through it.

Grimacing, Jaune looked away.

"No identification to go by. I suppose it would have been too much to ask for him to keep a convenient diary of his life here. Ah, but where would he find paper or ink to begin with? Foolish of me to hope."

Jaune peered through the hatch, watching the bright lights of the helicopter as it buzzed by. While the water was rough, he couldn't do much for the air unless he started another storm like in the Grimm world. He wasn't prepared to do that to innocent people. It was too dark to make out any details, but the beam of light was flashing over the shack itself lower down.

Soon, people would be sent to investigate – if not to find out what was going on, then at least to make sure no one was stranded out here. They'd find the dead body and maybe be able to identify it. Would that be a dangerous thing?

"What do we do with the body?" he asked Ozpin.

"What can we do? We leave it."

"Isn't that risky?"

"Of course, but our options are limited. Unless you think you can carry it out while evading detection. We will simply have to trust the common man to make up a plausible explanation for this. If we are lucky, they will blame it on CIA experiments or something equally banal." Ozpin tutted and let the hatch fall shut above them. "I think it's time we left. But before that…" He knelt and took the jacket off the dead body, working the sleeves off his bloated arms. It was a horrible sight.

"Why…?"

I may as well see if there is anything here that can track him back. If not a label, a distinctive weave, pattern or dye material." Ozpin balled it up in his hands and moved quickly down the stairs, Jaune following.

Outside, the helicopter continued to buzz. In the distance, he thought he could hear someone on a megaphone – likely telling the observers to back away from the water's edge. The lighthouse hadn't been visible for thirty minutes and the city was already reacting. That shouldn't have sounded too impressive, but it was also a Nightmare. Though the police didn't know why, people would be dying across the city. Had Cinder been ready for this? Or had she just moved quickly?

Ozpin stopped in the main living area. Some light from the copter outside flooded through small cracks in the walls, shining thin beams through motes of dust across the chair and bed of the building.

"You'll need to get us back to shore undetected, Jaune."

"I can do that." He poked his head out the door, then tore it back in as a beam of light flashed by. His heart raced. "I'm more worried about us being seen. Do you think they have night vision cameras?"

"Almost certainly."

"And that doesn't worry you!?"

"Not so much. They're not as infallible as the name might suggest. At best, we would be indistinct figures. Even so, let's wait for them to pass around the back before we move. I presume you can find me if I dive into the water?"

"Yeah. Just hold your breath."

They waited for the chopper to pass around. The light flashed over the walls of the shack, up the side of the lighthouse's tower and then disappeared, casting shadows over their spot. As one, they moved – Ozpin first and then him, dashing the short distance to the water.

Light came around the side of the lighthouse. It shone over his back and he was _sure_ he heard someone shout out from above. Not trusting himself to turn, he flung himself off the rocks and down into the water, to be embraced by kind dark and cold.

Wrapping himself around his body and Ozpin's, he swept them away.

/-/

Weiss' mighty wings beat in the air, despite that they did not need to. It was a strange, reflexive motion that made no difference to her flight. Like light itself, she moved independently, floating through the air without pause. Below, great vistas rolled by. Plains, rivers, forests and mountains.

It was strange to think how many people dreamed of flight, how much _she_ had dreamed of the freedom of flight as well, and yet here it was within her grasp and it was already boring. Perhaps that was human nature, to want, want, want like a young child and then be done with a new toy within an hour once it was given, then to move onto a new want.

Flight didn't feel liberating. It felt lonely. Effortless.

Another mountain range gave way to a desert, then to a forest. The Domains rolled by, sometimes punctuated by mighty beasts screaming at her in rage, but for the most part in silence. If there were other Grimm which flew, they sensed or saw her coming and thought twice on being in the air. None challenged her, the Lord of the Skies.

Or Lady, as it were.

Working from no landmarks wasn't making this easy on her, but at the very least she knew she was looking for a land of ash. That marked out the verdant life she'd seen in other Domains. The occasional desert got her spirits up but proved wrong. Everything else was a let-down.

 _I'm already far away from my Domain, and it borders Jaune's. How will he even get here without water to swim through? Walk? That would take weeks._ Nora did not have weeks. Weiss was not sure any of them did.

Another forest passed by underneath, bordering a volcanic area she chose to loop around for a few minutes, curious to see if ash would billow from the precipice. It did not even smoke, and the area around it was formed of volcanic rock a shiny black in colour. The final nail in the coffin was a shape on the crest of the volcano, which attempted to throw molten rock at her. It fell pitifully short, some several hundred metres short. Not Cinder. Weiss sighed and flew on.

In the back of her head was a connection to her Domain, which despite not having the hard border of a shoreline like Jaune, _did_ have an edge. There was something in her head that let her know where that was, and she knew she could find her way back if she had to, even without landmarks to work by. It might have been something to do with light being her power. It was hard to be sure. Everything was guesswork and assumption, or trial and error at best.

Her wings tickled.

Curious, she looked to her left, seeing that the large feathers on them had begun to dull.

 _Strange. Does that mean something?_ Gliding down, she came to rest atop the peak of a tall mountain, as unbothered by the thin air as she was by the wind and cold. The sun was shining and that was all she needed to draw strength from. Unbidden, her pinions moved to point at the sunlight like flowers, brightening in colour.

The colour seemed to indicate energy, or maybe some kind of photosynthetic reaction. Like the carapace of a bug reflecting light, they shimmered bright hues of pink, green and gold when aimed toward it.

She turned, pushing one wing in the direction she had been flying. On one side of her wing, the colour remained, but it darkened on the other side, to the left – or the North, as it were. The feathers became dull and itchy. Fragile.

No sunlight? She'd been travelling for ages now and there was no natural dark. It honestly didn't seem like the Grimm world had a day and night cycle, or that the sun it orbited was too large to grant one. Or maybe the world didn't rotate on its axis.

Maybe it was flat.

Either way, something was telling her there was a lack of sunlight to the north. The last time that happened was when Jaune created a storm to block out the sun, and that was only possible because of the previous Lord of Light allowing the air temperature to heat up, giving Jaune the perfect materials to work with. What else could block out sunlight?

Smoke and ash. Weiss' large, golden eyes narrowed.

"Found you."

* * *

 **Short chapter is short. I like the rain, especially when it's super heavy like it is now. Love having the window open and letting it just stream down outside, and our puppy, Kali, is super angry at the thunder and lightning, too.**

 **She doesn't like it.**

 **Alas, I'm not a fan of the power cuts either.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 11** **th** **August**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	45. Chapter 45

**Hey all. Just so you know (mentioned it everywhere but you know…) there will be no update next week as I'm in Wales with the family. Regular service will resume from the week after. If in doubt, check the dates at the bottom.**

 **To answer another question, yes, I've played Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Yes, I thought it was pretty damn good. Some minor criticisms on things, like how when someone asks you a question, you never feel like you should answer it honestly – i.e. roleplay – instead, it feels like you should just answer what you know they WANT to hear. After all, you're rewarded for giving them the answer they want. That makes it feel a little lacking in immersion to me because my teacher feels like a manipulative sociopath who just smiles and says what her students want to hear, rather than what they need to hear.**

 **But… I liked the characters. Claude is the best. Golden Deer for life. Edelgard fans can go edgelord in a corner.** **Dmitri is… eh, he's okay, but I felt like "chivalrous male with dark past" has been done before, so he didn't interest me much from an originality point of view.**

 **Also, I played female only lead, not for Claude, but because I had a choice of two and thought:**

" **Oh wow, an emotionless, stoic and stony-faced male character. I've never seen that before… like, in every RPG EVER!." Seriously, it just feels like that's been done forever by now, and I liked the way the female lead was sort of the same but had a little emotion that showed through which helped to make her feel more real.**

 **Of course, that** _ **also**_ **let me bang Claude, so win-win all around.**

 **My original husband pick was honestly either Hanneman (Oobleck meets Port meets Watts) or Seteth (Severeus Snape meets a tub of lime-green paint) but Claude won me over, the sneaky bastard.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 45**

* * *

" _-Alexander Nikos' statement that the lighthouse suddenly appearing in the Quabbin Reservoir is a marketing stunt by a local business. No local businesses have claimed responsibility and environmental groups are in uproar at what they see as unauthorised construction within the Reservoir. How does one build a lighthouse not five hundred metres offshore without being seen, Connor?"_

" _You don't, Marie. That's all there is to it. The statement given smacks of ignorance and even gross negligence, essentially telling us and everyone listening that it's a false statement designed to satisfy no one other than officials in Vale. The people deserve to know more, and the police decision to cordon off the area – on claims of health and safety no less – isn't helping."_

" _Are you suggesting a conspiracy?"_

" _I don't know what to suggest. That's for our viewers to decide. What I will say, however-"_

Jaune sighed and looked away from the TV hung in the corner of the Beacon's main dining area. It didn't let him escape entirely because there were two smaller televisions in each corner and a large flat screen at the back all tuned into the same channel. The volume boomed out over the whole inn.

They were busier than usual – and unusually so, as well. The Nightmare was over, and the sun had risen, so most of the hunters had left, going home dispirited by a night where they could do nothing and had to let the Grimm roam free. There had been deaths across the city, most of which were being blamed on them anyway. Those that weren't car accidents – likely people seeing Grimm and swerving to avoid them – or others clearly blamed on animal attacks due to the claw marks across the victim's bodies.

What really filled Beacon today was regular folk, which was something he hadn't seen since he'd started coming here. The place was dingy and sequestered enough that only local people came, and most found the hunters surly enough to not want to stay. Now, however, and thanks to all the people coming to see the lighthouse with their own eyes, the place was packed. He had a feeling Ozpin wasn't much pleased with the sudden surge of customers. Velvet and Oscar were certainly busy.

On a happier note, Nora was up and feeling better to be in the waking world, digging into some fried eggs, bacon, sausages and beans, a good full English breakfast that contained way too much in the way of carbs and grease for his liking. Nora probably deserved the treat, however.

"Looks like school is cancelled for a while," he said, speaking while she ate. "Not much of a surprise given the shooting and bombing there yesterday. You'd probably be safe to home today if you want to."

"Mmh." Nora swallowed. "I-I don't know if I want to…"

"I think you should go home for the day and let your fosters know you're okay. That way, you might be able to convince them to let you stay out tonight at a friends' place." He nudged Ruby in the side. "You could go see them and pretend it's you."

Ruby looked up. "Me? Why not you?"

"Nora's folks are… well, let's just say they'd be more comfortable with her spending her time with another girl."

It was important she stay near them during the night times, especially if Cinder took over. Ruby held his gaze for a few moments and then nodded, reading between the lines. There wasn't much for them to do during the day at any rate.

"Why is he giving such a rubbish statement on the lighthouse?" Nora asked. "No one is going to believe it's a marketing stunt."

"I think that's the point…"

"Hm. But wouldn't he want to just _say_ it's mysterious? That would have the same effect."

"If a Government official says something is mysterious, people will get bored with it," Ruby said. "If one says `don't look into this` everyone will look into it. By giving a _bad explanation_ that no one will believe, he – or Cinder – is pretty much goading people into trying to find out the truth themselves. I bet there are already YouTube videos all about it."

And those would be racking up millions of views and going viral. Each would have their own explanations and theories, but they'd reach a far bigger audience than Cinder could. Ruby was right; people loved to try and point out how the Government was lying. From the moon landing to vaccines to chemtrails and more. Cinder's statement all but danced the lie in front of people's faces and let them run off to investigate.

And, at the same time, she avoided suspicion of her own from anyone higher up. People would call her an idiot, but they wouldn't say she acted out of order.

"What did you and Ozpin find there?" Ruby asked.

He took a look around to make sure no one was listening. With Beacon full of non-hunters for once, he had to watch his words. He leaned forward, waiting for Ruby and Nora to do the same. "We found a dead body and little else. A _physical_ body, though. And a human."

"Impossible," Ruby said.

"I know. That's why Ozpin is in such a tizzy."

It was impossible for a human to exist over there, just as much as it was impossible for a structure from that world to cross into theirs. The how and why couldn't be answered, least of all why _just the lighthouse_ had come through and not, say, a mountain or forest, or why the lighthouse had been visible to Awakened for so long. Well over twenty years if Ozpin's account of making Beacon here because of it was true.

It was obviously tied to the weakening boundary – with the nebulous theory that as it weakened, Grimm and now physical objects were coming through and materialising in this world – but why the lighthouse? Why someone made of brick and stone and not something else? Why here, the Quabbin Reservoir? If Vale in the Grimm world really was over Leviathan's ocean, then why not have the water itself coming through? Had to be easier than an island with a lighthouse on it.

Ozpin had locked himself up in his room ever since, trying desperately to identify the person or find evidence of a lighthouse in the area. The police had naturally said nothing on the man, but that was to be expected. They wouldn't make something like that public knowledge.

"I should go see my fosters," Nora said, standing. Ruby stood with her, resigned to her fate of playing the first female friend. If nothing else, her fosters would be delighted to see Nora not running the risk of tainting her innocence hanging around those `Jaune and Ren` boys so much.

They were all of them used to it.

"Go see Ren as well," he said. "Otherwise, he'll worry. You shouldn't be at any risk until you go to sleep, and there are barely any Grimm around once a Nightmare ends. Just stay away from Cinder and you can do whatever."

Nora agreed, and judging from the look on her face planned to spent the day with Ren. He couldn't blame her. If he had someone he had feelings for as much as she did Ren, he'd want to spend what time he had with them as well. Maybe Nora would even go the full way and tell Ren how she felt. The thought brought a smile to his face.

His phone beeped.

The text was from his mother, asking him if he was okay. Once again, she wanted to know if he'd feel safer coming back to Boston, with a message of how she could have him in a school there within a few days.

 _What is this, the tenth time she's offered?_ He sighed and tried to push down his frustration. _It's not her fault for being worried about me. What is she supposed to think with so many things going on here? We technically had a school shooting yesterday._

Honestly, he was lucky she and his father weren't in Vale to drag him back home.

He typed a quick message back, telling her he was fine, never in danger, hadn't even _seen_ the shots fired and was currently hanging out with a friend. The reply came back mere moments later telling him to take it easy and that she loved him.

 _`Love you too, mom`._ he sent back.

It wasn't fair on them. Wasn't fair on anyone, really.

"Jaune? Jaune, is that you?" Pyrrha came around to his side, skirting the table from a respectable distance until she could properly see his face. Hers lit up and she moved in with a smile. "It is! I didn't expect to see you here." She drew out the chair Nora had sat on and paused, looking down at the plates. "A-Ah," she stammered. "Are you here with someone?"

"I was, but they had to head home."

"May I, then?"

"Sure."

Smiling again, she sat down, gently sliding some of the plates aside. Velvet was far too busy to come and collect them. Beacon was only supposed to be a front for a bar, not actually a restaurant.

"I can't believe we'd run into each other like this," she said. "I guess you came to see the mysterious lighthouse as well?"

"I did," he said, the lie coming easily. "That's why you're here?"

"Hmhm. I saw the news on the TV, not to mention my father talking about it. He said it was safe to come see if I wanted to."

Jaune tensed. Cinder said that? Was there any reason for it? It was impossible to tell if it was a measured move on her part or just her trying to get Pyrrha out the way. The more people who saw the lighthouse and accepted it as impossible, the more likely it was they might Awaken. He wasn't sure if Pyrrha might be among that number. It depended on the person.

"So," she said excitedly. "What do you think caused it?"

"Didn't your father give a statement earlier?"

"Ah, well. He… He did say it was something he was told to give. He wouldn't tell me more, but I got the impression he doesn't know. It sure does sound mysterious though."

"I don't know. A marketing stunt is as good a guess as any."

Her smile faltered. "Do you really think that's all it is?"

"I think it's as good an explanation as any. I've heard of weirder things. Didn't Tate & Lyle make a three-story _hotel_ out of sweets and cakes once? It was literally an edible building that people could eat their way through. Compared to that, a lighthouse out on the Reservoir is practically nothing."

"But no company has claimed it as their own…"

"They're probably building up hype." He dove into the lies, waving a hand as arguments came to him. "You know how Twitter is. I bet they want people to talk about it and hype it up. This thing is probably already trending and once people are desperate to know the answer, they'll hold the big reveal. Could be a movie. Hell, it could even be Energizer batteries. Something about how if it was Energizer, the lighthouse would still be shining."

Pyrrha laughed. "That sounds ridiculous!"

"No more ridiculous than a `magical lighthouse` appearing out of nowhere, right?" he asked with a grin. "I mean, I know people are saying they just saw it appear, but people claim to see aliens all the time and it's just a cloud or plane flying by overhead."

"Don't take the fun out of it. I like the idea of magic. Don't you…?"

He had, once upon a time. "I like fantasy books and movies if that's what you mean. I guess it's okay to imagine that kind of stuff as long as you don't actually think it's real."

"Oh, I know it's not." Pyrrha rolled her eyes. "Obviously."

He laughed, trying to hide just how much relief he felt. As long as she clung to that knowledge, she'd be fine. "Is this your first time coming down here, then?"

"To the waterfront?"

"Not that. I mean this place, Beacon."

"I suppose it is," she said, looking around. "I think I've seen the place once or twice but never felt the urge to come visit. It always looked a little rough. It's quite nice inside, though the waitress looks a little over her head."

He turned to watch Velvet stumble by, visible bags under her eyes. She collected several plates from some gossiping customers and nodded her head wearily to their orders for fresh drinks. The poor girl was doing everything on her own since Ozpin was busy and Oscar was all but confined to the kitchens.

Velvet looked _exhausted_.

 _She's been up all night serving through the Nightmare, so I'm not surprised. Beacon is supposed to be empty through most of the day. Come to think of it, she lives here now, so it's not like she can escape the work either way._

He wished there was something he could do to help, but he had no idea how to serve drinks or work the taps. He'd be less than useless. He doubted Cinder had thought this far ahead, if she even knew the Beacon was here. The Grimm never came close and whatever kept them away might have been keeping her away as well. Accidental or not, however, she'd paralysed the hunters since the lighthouse was now some kind of tourist attraction.

"Maybe we should take pity on her and not order anything," he said. It was all he _could_ do for her.

"We could go out for a walk along the waterfront!" Pyrrha said excitedly. "We both have the day off school. What do you say? It could be fun!"

He'd caught at best four hours of sleep in between taking Ozpin to the lighthouse, worrying about Nora and stressing over everything going on in the city. Velvet looked it, but he was just as tired. But if he left Pyrrha alone to dwell on the lighthouse, she ran the risk of Awakening.

"Sure." He pushed his plate away. "I'd like that."

Her smile was worth it.

/-/

"Found anything?"

"Nothing." Ozpin accepted the coffee Weiss brought him and smiled for her. "Thank you. I needed this." He took a long sip and put it down. "As far as I can tell, there's no record of a lighthouse being built in this area. It's not as though there is a lack of records, either. The reservoir started construction in 1930 to bring in water from Lake Cochituate. Everything from that point onward is public record."

Weiss hummed and took a seat nearby, drinking her own coffee. She'd missed the discovery Ozpin and Jaune made, but as Ozpin's apprentice and next in line to take over the Hunters, he had filled her in. Unlike any other, she was privy to everything he did. It was a responsibility she took seriously, and that meant involving herself in the research now.

"If it's impossible for anything to have been built here, that means we have to think further. Other human dimensions, a time _before_ the Quabbin Reservoir, or the idea that the Grimm world doesn't mirror ours as first thought."

The concept of other dimensions was a given at this point. If the Grimm world was one, it already provided the existence of others, in theory. It was entirely possible the Grimm dimension sat nestled between two or more others, some of which might have humans as well. On the other hand, it was hard to jump straight to that conclusion.

Dimensional theory was hardly her forte but there _were_ those who specialised in it. There were even acclaimed scientists who ran with the idea, though it was obviously impossible to prove it until now. Still, even to her mind she found herself questioning if two human dimensions would go in the same way on a construction basis. Would they both _have_ lighthouses, let alone ones so similar in construction to their own world? Could two dimensions so casually have the same kind of architecture?

Yes and no. While it stretched coincidence to suggest it, she'd read an article by a theorist who posted that if aliens did exist in the universe, they might actually look and act like humans. The theory hypothesised that rather than life being rare, it was simply highly difficult to achieve, and that perhaps through luck or cosmic probability, humanity had simply found the `only formula that worked`. That the human body, mind and culture was uniquely specialised to survive and thrive and that, if the theory held true, life on a planet hundreds of millions of lightyears away might also have evolved to be similar to humans because, again, it was the only combination of traits that worked.

It was a long shot and something impossible to offer evidence for, but it could be that two human dimensions would discover the exact same architectural style not through luck, but because it worked. Wheels turned and square wheels did not, so both discovered the wheel. Both made ships because ships worked to solve a problem, and lighthouses were made because it was just the obvious solution to the issue of ships crashing into rocks in thick mist.

"But it's still a jump to believe there are other human dimensions, or that this person comes from it," she said.

"Yes. I agree." Ozpin sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Given the poor construction utilised, though it's still fantastic for what a single man could achieve, it seems more likely the individual travelled intro the Grimm world first, and then chose to build it while there, perhaps to signal out in hopes of finding other humans in a strange land."

"Someone could survive on fish and rainwater if they knew how, but I'm sure Jaune said there isn't any life in his ocean, not even algae. How could a person survive long enough to build a home? You wouldn't even choose to do so in a location lacking food or water."

"Nothing makes sense about this," Ozpin groaned. "Except perhaps that the location is different. If a lighthouse vanished from elsewhere in the world and arrived in the Grimm one, it might explain it. Somewhere unrelated to Vale or the US at all. That way, at least, the person might have only survived there a few days. It would explain the inability to gather food."

It seemed a much better theory than multiple dimensions. "What of the scrap of cloth you brought back?"

"It's linen. And old. It looks to have been weaved by hand and lacks any labels or tags that would me commonly seen today. If I had limitless resources, I'd like to see it carbon dated but that isn't going to happen anytime soon. Either way, I'd say our mysterious individual is not from the modern era."

"You're sure of that?"

"As sure as I can be. It's threadbare and the stitching is clearly not mechanical. It could be a coincidence and he made it himself, or bought it custom, but the style is also old. Very old. I don't want to jump to conclusions, but he may well be from the colonial era."

Weiss leaned back. "That's quite the jump, isn't it? You're saying he might be from three centuries ago?"

"Yes, which raises its own questions. I always assumed this phenomenon was recent and a one-off, but looking back, that was foolish. Mythological creatures have existed throughout history and even if we assume most are fake, some may well be what we call Grimm. The boundary between our world and theirs has always existed, but fractures now because of the sheer population of our world. At nearly eight billion, if even five per cent of our world believes in the supernatural, that is likely ten to a hundred times more than did in the 1700's."

Possible. Very possible. Would that not pose that this has happened before? There are old legends about blood moons and monsters roaming streets on ill nights. Might those have been Nightmares?"

"Quite possibly, Weiss, and that fills me with hope."

"Hope? Why?"

"Because if this has happened before, it means one of two things; that this is a phenomenon with a waxing and waning effect, and that the Grimm and the tragedies they cause might end of its own accord. Or that our ancestors found a way to end the threat themselves, which means we can do the same."

"That sounds promising, but it would be reckless to _assume_ this will end naturally."

"I agree. We'll work on the assumption that it won't end unless we end it. It may well be that our traveller was someone who did that. Perhaps he `sealed` the way for lack of a better term and died in the Grimm world as a result. Whatever the case, the boundary was once weak enough for him to physically travel there, and we've not had any records of that, so it _must_ have grown stronger or recovered somehow."

"You'll be looking for examples of that happening in history, then? Mass disappearances?"

Ozpin indicated the book he was reading through. "I'm looking for periods in history with the most inexplainable events linked to one area. We've seen in this time that the majority of sightings and events are linked to Vale. I believe that when the boundary has weakened in the past, it weakens at a specific location."

Meaning that if they could find where the boundary weakened before, they could see what had been done there. In theory. "A single area? Like the Bermuda Triangle?"

"I've tried that. Looking through it, it actually seems that no less or more disappearances took place there than anywhere else in the world. It was simply exaggeration and rumour that made it sound worse. There are other eras with discrepancies, however. I am currently looking into those but it's difficult to differentiate fact from fiction."

Dry research, copious amounts of reading and more dead ends. Weiss sighed, knowing she'd be stuck doing just as much as Ozpin. Still, if his theory was correct then they had a chance to bring an end to this. The cyclical nature of the boundary weakening might continue, but in truth the appearance of Grimm was not as dangerous as it might have been if Cinder was removed from the picture. The Hunters could hold off the Grimm and the deaths of their victims, cruel as it sounded, could be washed away. People died all the time.

That led into the far greater news. "I think I've found her Domain."

Ozpin stilled, looking up from his book. "You think…?"

"I sensed… you could call it negative space. I sensed an area where light was absent and that fits Nora's depiction of her Domain. If the ash clouds are thick enough to blot out the sun, fewer light particles would come through. I believe that's what I felt."

"You didn't explore further?"

"I'm afraid of being killed if I do. My strength relies on access to light."

Ozpin hummed, understanding her issue. As much as light was not entirely blocked – if it had been, Nora would not have been able to _see_ anything – it was weakened. More than that, Jaune had a similar problem, relying on water. Neither commodity was in abundance in Cinder's Domain, whereas her fire burned beneath the surface.

"I thought it more important to bring the information back alive than to risk my life to save Nora." Weiss grimaced, looking away as the guilt settled in. "And I didn't want to admit that to the others…"

"Of course. I believe you did the right thing, Weiss."

The right thing. Just like she had when she fed two people to Blake and Adam in exchange for their co-operation. That still ached, even if she knew their aid would be necessary ahead. Unlike her or Jaune, they weren't faced with crippling weakness outside their Domain. How would Jaune even fight? He lacked arms and legs to move outside of water. If light was disturbed to such a degree, could she even gather the strength to fly? Would light generated by fire empower her, or was it only sunlight? Light was light, in theory, but Grimm powers hardly made sense.

"I think we need to kill her in her Domain," she said. "Even if the boundary weakens on a timeframe, it's obvious Cinder is trying to break it. Killing her human body hasn't helped us and we finally know where she keeps her Grimm form. If that dies, she'll be locked as human. Then, when she dies, she dies for real. Take her out of the equation and the Hunters can pick up the pieces and hold the normal Grimm off. I think that's more important than any research, Ozpin."

Ozpin sighed, then closed the book. "You're right. Whatever her plans, she is sacrificing people to fuel her fire. That suggests to me the need to do so for her ultimate purpose. If you were to remove those people, she would not have fuel. I'm not sure if her fire is to weaken the boundary or just sustain her over-large territory, but if she wants it kept burning, we want it snuffed out."

"Fighting her on her own Domain will be difficult," Weiss pointed out. "If not impossible."

"Not if Cinder were distracted in our world."

Weiss frowned. "She'll sense us entering her Domain."

"I'm not sure that she will. As you've explained it to me, you can sense disturbances in your Domain, but by Miss Valkyrie's own words, there are hundreds of souls already wandering her Domain. If you were to enter not as transformed forms of Leviathan and your Lord of the Skies, then it would feel to her as five souls wandering through her Domain. A small and insignificant change to what she already deals with."

"That's true…" In a way, Cinder had made it all too easy. Sneak in as souls, find her and then transform if they could. Or, if they couldn't, destroy her body while she was dreaming and stuck in the human world. "She would wake up when we came close to her body, though. Or if we tried to take people _out_ of her Domain, she'd certainly notice when the number of souls begins to diminish."

"Yes, but if she were engaged with something she could not let go of in our world, she might not be able to find an opportunity to return to hers."

"Her real body is more important than her human one," Weiss pointed out. "She'd sacrifice it in a second to protect her Domain. I'm not sure what you could give her that would be so tempting she'd choose to focus on the human world and not her Domain."

"Then we shall simply have to make sure the bait is tempting enough." Ozpin sighed and stood. "A chance to remove once and for all the faction stood in her way."

Weiss gasped. "You mean the Hunters?"

"Yes. If we are to keep her attention, the bait must be alluring indeed. I can think of only three things she would take a risk for. The Hunters, myself as their leader, and Jaune, the one who slew her mate and usurped the Leviathan's power. If we were to offer her all three on a silver platter, I am not sure she would be able to resist. Meanwhile, you, Blake, Adam and Ruby can infiltrate her Domain, find and slay her."

"And in doing so, risk everyone's lives. The Hunters' included."

"I'm afraid we may well not have a choice." Ozpin closed his eyes and let out a long breath. "I did not wish to raise alarm, but I fear that our time for fixing this is short."

"Short…? How so?"

"The boundary has been weak enough for Grimm to pass through for over a decade, but we've seen increased activity, suggesting it's weakening. Now it has allowed a structure into our world. More than that, the island it was based on has come through. What will be next? We are fortunate it's a lighthouse in a reservoir, but what happens if it is a mountain in the centre of Vale? Or a mountain range? A sudden mass of several tonnes of rock and earth appearing _inside_ a city filled with people. How many would die?"

Hundreds. Possibly thousands.

"And that is to say nothing of the threat of our worlds merging in a more dramatic fashion. Whatever Cinder has planned, I believe this to be the final stages. If our world merges with theirs, humanity may well be driven into extinction."

You couldn't fight the landscape changing, monsters appearing or the chaos that would engulf the entire world. Grimm running free. The military might fight them off for a while and even hold them back, but what if they too were killed in the initial merging? And what if it were a Grimm like Ruby that faced them? One that was incorporeal and could not be harmed with mundane weapons?

If nothing else, the initial impact of Leviathan's ocean suddenly appearing on Earth would cause chaos as it was. Coastal cities flooded, water levels rising and the environmental impact of it would destabilise the world. Then Cinder's fiery Domain? Wherever that appeared, the world would fill with ash clouds. The words `ice age` came to mind.

"For better or worse it's time to end this," Ozpin said. "We don't have any more time."

"I'll contact Blake and Adam. Ruby will accept it just for the chance to avenge her sister. Do you think Jaune will agree? He'll be putting himself in danger. If Cinder gets the chance, she _will_ kill him."

"Let me talk to him."

/-/

"I don't normally have much of a chance to come here. Is it always this busy?"

"Not even close," Jaune said. "People are here for the same reason as you are – to see the `mysterious` lighthouse." He made air quotes with his fingers as he said it, trying to inject as much sarcasm as he could to reinforce the idea Pyrrha should feel that way.

She laughed and nudged him with her elbow. "You shouldn't be such a killjoy."

"I prefer to think of myself as a realist. What about you? I didn't take you for the superstitious type."

"I'm not. I guess I bought into the hype. It's nice to get out in the sun, though. Mom was worried about letting me out the house with what happened at school. I had to convince her the Hunters wouldn't do anything in the middle of the day."

He winced. "The Hunters? You believe all that?"

"You don't?" Pyrrha shot him an incredulous look. "Jaune, they attacked school. And the hospital. It's a little hard _not_ to believe in them right now. They're terrorists."

"I didn't mean to say they're not real. Just…" He sighed. "Forget it. I guess I'm just questioning what they hope to achieve. Doesn't make sense that they just appear and start blowing up places. Most terrorists have a cause, and they're not shy about announcing it."

"That's what father says. He's been trying to figure out their purpose for a while now."

Jaune fought back a roll of his eyes. He doubted Cinder spent much time at night agonising over the motives of those oh, so evil Hunters. More time sacrificing people in a huge inferno. Pyrrha's own father… No, he couldn't think it. Not with Pyrrha right next to him and acting so carefree. Christ, what was going to happen to her when they eventually killed Cinder? She would be devastated.

He paused. Something was burning… or smelt like it. His nose scrunched up, nostrils flaring.

What that `burning` might be struck a moment later and he hissed, catching Pyrrha's attention. He tugged her wrist, trying to pull her back. "Maybe we should go back. There's not much to see beyond here."

"Hm?" Pyrrha didn't fight him but did look ahead, "Why? Isn't there more-" Her eyes widened, and she smiled suddenly. "Dad!"

Shit. Shit, shit, shit.

"Hello Pyrrha," the older man said, catching her eye and strolling forward. He flicked a cigarette from his hand, over the railing and into the water. Into _his_ Domain. "A surprise to see you here, especially after your mother all but grounded you."

 _Your mother, not his wife or her name. It's so obvious._

"Ah. I wanted to come see a friend," Pyrrha said guiltily. "I'm okay, though. It's safe with you here."

"Of course it is." The man's eyes, burning bright and yellow, fixed on Jaune's glowing blue. "And who might your friend be…?"

* * *

 **There we go. Quick reminder; no chapter next week**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 25** **th** **August**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	46. Chapter 46

**Hello there. Been a while.**

 **Or not, but it kind of feels like it.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 46**

* * *

"This is Jaune!" Pyrrha said, showing a clear lack of awareness both as to the nature of the two she was introducing and the way they were looking at one another. "He's my friend from school. We train together on the track team."

"That's wonderful, Pyrrha. It's good to see you making friends. And you, Jaune, was it?"

He stared at the outstretched hand. Refuse to take it and Pyrrha would be suspicious, but what was to say Cinder wouldn't kill him the moment he did? She could replace this body with a new one at a moment's notice.

 _We're by the waterfront. This is my Domain._

Their hands touched. Shook. His burned as fire crackled on the surface of the man's hands. When they drew away, his palms were red and blistery. Cinder's dripped with water and just a little blood. The man whose skin she wore took the hand and put it in her pocket, hiding the tiny wounds from Pyrrha's eyes.

"Dad leads the police in Vale," Pyrrha said proudly. So much pride for her father, a man who was dead and gone. "It's thanks to him everyone in the city sleeps safely at night."

"Ha. You flatter me, Pyrrha. And I wouldn't say the city is all too safe at the moment, least of all out here where you shouldn't be." Cinder looked out over the water. "Here to see the lighthouse, hm? It certainly is a mysterious old thing." His lips twitched. "Magical, almost."

"Jaune this it's a PR stunt."

"Does he now?" Cinder looked to him and her eyes twinkled. "Well, that matches my official stance so I can't complain. I suppose we'll see who is behind this in the coming days, won't we?"

"You think they'll show themselves?" Jaune asked.

 _Is that a threat?_

"Who can say?" Cinder said. "Only time will tell. Pyrrha, why don't you head home now that you've sated your curiosity. Despite my best efforts the waterfront isn't as safe as I would like, and your mother must be worried."

"I… well…" Pyrrha looked to Jaune.

"Your friend can come see you later. How about having dinner tonight with us?"

"Dad!" Pyrrha's face flushed as she looked helplessly between the two of them. "It's not – we're not like that! We're friends." She wrung her hands together, face burning. "Don't embarrass me like this. And Jaune's probably busy."

"Is he?" Cinder's eyes remained on his. "That's a shame. I had hoped to do something special tonight, but if he's occupied I suppose I'll have to do something with just the two of us, Pyrrha."

"I'll be there."

"Jaune!?" Pyrrha yelped.

"If I'm still invited, that is," he said, staring the taller man down.

Cinder's smile slowly grew. "But of course. How does eight sound?"

Late. It sounded late. With the colder months approaching the nights were coming sooner and sooner. It would be dark out by the time he arrived. Dark enough to let the Grimm roam free, albeit in smaller numbers so soon after a Nightmare.

"Eight is fine. Would you be able to meet and direct me there, Pyrrha?"

Keep her out the house. Ensure her safety. Make it so Cinder couldn't hurt her before the meeting.

"We could meet outside Eastfield," she said, almost shyly. "Seven-thirty? If that's okay, dad?"

"As long as you come home swiftly. The nights aren't safe, and I would _hate_ for you to be put in any danger. I'd be beside myself with worry." There was no missing the emphasis he put on the word, or the curve of his lips as he watched Jaune. The meaning was clear, the threat evident.

"I'll bring her back home safe, sir. Thank you for inviting me."

Cinder chuckled. "Always a pleasure to meet friends of my daughter." He stepped past, Jaune's shoulders stiffening as they stood side by side. Cinder's hand petted his shoulder, his skin there sizzling at the contact. "Good to meet you, Jaune. I look forward to getting to know you better."

He walked away. Or she. Locked inside the empty husk of a man whose daughter stood beside him. As he went, he carried the stench of fire and ash into the distance, thankfully in the opposite direction to Beacon.

One of Jaune's fingers twitched. It would be a freak accident if the water rose up and dragged Alexander Nikos down into the depths. A tragic end to a good man if he should knock his head on the pier, fall unconscious and drown.

Such a shame…

"I'm so sorry about that." Pyrrha broke his concentration, stepping in front of him and grabbing his hand the moment the water had begun to creep up the slats. Jaune tried to look over her shoulder but she shook her head, making her red hair flutter and fly before him. By the time it had fallen, Cinder was gone. "I didn't know he'd be here, or that he'd give you the ninth degree like that. He's not normally so pushy!"

Damn it. The chance was gone.

"Not normally?" he asked, not really paying attention.

"He's been… different recently. He doesn't talk as much to mom and he's taken up smoking." She bit her lip. "I shouldn't be saying anything. It's probably nothing."

"It might not be. You say he's changed?"

"No, it's fine. It's just all the work he's under." Like oil over water, the truth washed across the surface of her mind without purchase. It was both what kept her safe from the Grimm and what made her so damn ignorant to the signs of her father's demise. "Dad has always been busy, but the recent attacks and storms have taken it out of him. He has to work twice as hard as anyone else. He's a hero who has to protect everyone in the city."

What did he do? Tell her the truth? Even assuming she believed it, he would just be pulling her into the Awakened World. That was no escape for her, to say nothing of how much it would hurt knowing her father was gone. And if Pyrrha _confronted_ Cinder…?

No. Ignorance was bliss. Ignorance was salvation.

"Don't sweat it. I didn't have anything else planned tonight."

 _Shouldn't be any Grimm out after a Nightmare so Ozpin won't need me on healing duty. And having Cinder distracted is a good way for Nora to catch some more sleep without danger. The only one in any real danger will be me._ If nothing else, Pyrrha would be safe until seven thirty. Cinder needed her to meet and lure him to her lair.

"Go home," he told her. "Don't want your old man to worry and have even more reason to interrogate me. Half-seven at Eastfield, right? I'll see you there."

"Hm." Pyrrha nodded and smiled suddenly. "Thanks, Jaune." She laughed. "I'm actually looking forward to it."

That made one of them.

/-/

"This isn't nearly as bad as it sounds."

"Are you kidding me? Jaune agreed to a dinner date with Cinder." Ruby slammed a hand on the table. "That's not just bad – it's suicidal."

"We need her distracted to enact our plan to sneak into her Domain," Weiss argued. "Jaune is giving us an unparalleled opportunity. With her busy, Blake, Adam, Ruby and I can sneak in, find Nora and locate Cinder's real body, all before she notices what's going on." She gestured to Blake and Adam beside her, who nodded along with the plan.

"Yes, and Jaune dies. Or do you all expect Cinder _won't_ kill him tonight?"

No one argued that; he wasn't surprised. He didn't feel all too good about his chances either and if everyone was going to be sneaking into her Domain, that meant he wouldn't be able to count on a Ruby ex Machina to save him.

"We have to call it off," Ruby said. "Tell your friend you won't be there."

"Cinder will kill Pyrrha."

"She's going to kill hundreds more if she isn't stopped! One more isn't worth you dying over!"

"Would you say that if the `one person` was Yang?"

Ruby drew a sharp breath through gritted teeth.

"You already want me to distract her while you invade her Domain. I'll be in danger whenever we do this. Might as well do it now and let her think she has the edge. And before she finds and devours Nora and uses her to figure out where the Beacon is."

Nora looked down. "Jaune…"

"No. This isn't your fault. The boundary is weakening – we all know that – and this would have happened whether you Awakened or not. We need to kill Cinder. Permanently. If that means I put myself in the line of fire, so be it."

Ruby glared at him.

"It's not like he will be the only one," Blake said, leaning one elbow on the table to cut off Ruby's staring contest with him. "The team sent into her Domain is walking into the inferno to fight a monster born of fire. At least Jaune has the option of running away. We won't."

"Exactly. You all act like I'm the one in the most danger but I'm not. You are."

Except, in the Grimm world they all had their own ways to protect themselves. Ruby was incorporeal, Blake and Adam could run away quickly, and Weiss could fly. Here, he was squishy and mortal. A single bullet and he was probably done for. Knowing that, Cinder might decide her time as Alexander Nikos was worth sacrificing.

There was a good chance his `distraction` lasted no longer than walking in the front door.

But then, when wouldn't it be like that? There was no universe in which he could keep Cinder's focus on him without running the risk of death. He knew that. Ruby knew that. It was just a matter of accepting it.

"Are you that eager to die?" Ruby asked.

"No. But I'm tired…"

She tensed.

"I'm tired of running around like this. Tired of always being afraid. Tired of not being able to talk to my family for fear she'll find and kill them. Tired of counting every day like it's my last." It was no way to live. How long had it been since this all started? Three weeks? Four? It felt like a year or more. "I want this to end. I want to be free of her, free of Leviathan and free of this… this nightmare. I want to go back to sleep."

"To enter the Dream and be free of Grimm and all knowledge of them," Ozpin remarked. "Ever has that been the ambition of we hunters. Killing the Grimm was always just a matter of survival. Our true goals have been to escape it. To become normal again." The old man laughed bitterly, removing his glasses and rubbing his tired eyes. "And if you believe yourself tired, Mr Arc, think a moment for me. I've seen far too many live and die. I've dedicated my life to this – and what a life it has been. No children, no loved ones, no family to call my own." He looked around at them all, and Ruby looked away, biting her lip.

Blaming herself. It wasn't her fault but she _was_ a Grimm. Once upon a time, she'd been like all the others. Adam and Blake, still like that even now, showed no discomfort. They accepted their place in life. Relished it.

"I will lead my own distraction," Ozpin said. "I shall take some of my most trusted and assault the police station. We will free our incarcerated allies and pull her attention two ways. Just end this. Free us all."

"I'm in." Weiss placed her hand on the table. "I wouldn't have brought it up if I wasn't. Who else?"

"This isn't a fight we want, but you've as good as doomed us anyway." Blake added her own, and Adam a moment after her. "After seeing her territory subsuming others, it's only a matter of time until ours is swallowed whole."

Adam growled ferally. "I will not see our home burn."

"I'm in, though not with you." Jaune touched a hand near Weiss'. He looked to Ruby. "Ruby? We can't really do this without you."

"Fine." Ruby stood and turned away. "I'll do it. Call me when it's time."

"Ruby-" Too late. The door clicked shut behind her. Jaune sighed and slumped down. "I don't know what's up with her. She's always wanted Cinder dead. I thought she'd be happy with this."

"Go after her," Weiss ordered.

"Now?"

"You've no need to hear our plans to sneak in. Your task is in this world."

He nodded and pushed away from the table. Nora had her eyes focused down on it and he stepped past her, beyond Blake and Adam and out the door. Far from the excited planning of our victory he'd expected, the room was like a morgue.

Downstairs was different. Tourists and travellers were still around, leaving Velvet overworked and Beacon packed with people. He walked past them and out the door, looking left and right, then sniffing the air when he couldn't see her.

Wilting flowers floated to his nostrils from the far left. He followed it, making his way away from the lighthouse and the people crowded nearby and down toward the Vale park. The park which contained the forest where he and Ruby had first met. It stood as it always had, beautiful and quiet, a rare chance to be alone in a bustling city.

Tracking her scent through it, he found his way to a small clearing between four trees with flowers blooming across the long grass. There, kneeling down and buried up to her thighs, Ruby was touching a single rose.

It blossomed in front of her, growing tall in seconds and flowering into bright red petals.

Then, it wilted, withered and died. The petals fell away, flaking in the air to dust blown away on the breeze. The sudden, tangy, smell of mildew and mould spread, before that too was gone, leaving beside only a faint dried stalk where the flower had once stood, if only for a few seconds.

Trusting the sound of his footsteps to announce his approach, Jaune strode forward and knelt, crossing his legs under him and sitting in the grass in front of her.

"I said I'd help," Ruby whispered.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "This isn't about me risking my life. I'd be doing that whether I said yes or no to her offer." His hand reached out to touch hers, but she drew back. "What's the matter?"

"Why do you care? I'm just a Grimm."

"You're not _just_ anything. You're my friend."

"I'm still Grimm," she spat. "Like Ozpin said, you'd all be better off without us. You'd be living your life normally. Nora wouldn't be afraid. Weiss wouldn't have been driven away by a family that thinks she's insane. Blake and Adam, well, their original bodies would be alive, even the first girl Blake killed. And Yang…" Her eyes clenched shut. "Yang would still be alive. With the real Ruby. With her parents."

A lone tear leaked out and ran down her cheek. Her voice came out harsh and quiet.

"She'd be so much happier. I can't even imagine what she would be like. Maybe they'd be out here today, Ruby on Yang's shoulders as they walked through the forest. Get an ice-cream. Plan how they'll go home and watch a movie with mom and dad." Her lips peeled back. "Their mom and dad. Not mine."

"Ruby…"

"I don't have parents. One day I was simply there. Aware. Alone." She tugged up some strands of grass and tossed them in the air. They filtered away, several of them decaying as her power tool hold. "Whatever I touch withers and dies. In this world, I can control it, but I can't in the other. My Domain is nothing. It's death and rot. Blake and Adam, even Cinder and Leviathan, they get to have one another. They get to not be alone. I don't."

He opened his mouth to say she knew Adam and Blake now but closed it a moment later. He could still recall the animosity they'd shown her when she approached their Domain. Ruby was an ally to them, but she was not welcome.

"Has it always been like that?"

"Alone?" Ruby snorted. "Yep. Always. Always has been and always will be."

"It won't be." He grasped her hand and gasped. His fingers tingled – withered. The power was cut immediately, and Ruby pulled away, horrified by what she'd done. Jaune looked down at his hand and found the skin on his fingertips dry like parchment. It flaked away, thankfully revealing pink skin beneath. Raw, but unharmed.

Ruby scrambled to her feet, ready to bolt.

"Don't!" He caught her hoodie and pulled hard. She stumbled, footing uncertain, and fell on top of him.

If she'd been using her power he might have died. The thought didn't occur to him until she was already falling on him, and at that point it was too late. And he was still alive, so he could assume it was fine. He wrapped his arms around her stomach, holding her still as she kicked and thrashed.

"Let go!" she cried. "I'll only hurt you!"

"You won't. It was an accident. I shouldn't have grabbed you like that and it's fine. You only aged some of my skin. Skin dies and is replaced all the time." The logic didn't filter through, but fatigue did, especially as he held on and weathered her attempts to escape. "Calm down, Ruby. You're not going anywhere until you talk to me."

"I don't want to talk! Let go! Just get rid of us! Send me back to being alone!"

"I won't do that." He rocked back and forth with her, doing his best not to react as her angry grunts turned into wracking sobs, then broken sounds, the girl clutching to his shirt as she cried into him. "You're not going to be alone, Ruby. You'll have us."

"I won't have any of you for long," she said between sobs. "You're mortal. I'm not. And this body will die eventually. I'll be sent back to my world, my pit of rot and decay, and you'll all go on to whatever afterlife you have. You'll see Yang. You'll see Ruby. I won't. I'll be back to an eternity alone. Never ending. Never changing."

Words failed him.

There had to be something he could say. _Something_. If not, then what was the point of him?

And yet… nothing. Death was a certain end to all life and no matter whether they all survived Cinder or not, these bodies of theirs would die sooner or later. When the boundary was closed once and for all it would hopefully mean no more Grimm in this world, but it would also mean Ruby only had as long as the body she inhabited gave her.

Fifty, sixty, maybe even eighty years. It sounded like a long time when you were seventeen, but it was nothing to a being that did not age. She would have a million times that length alone to await her after she died. A million over a million, tens of millions, until even the memories of her time here had faded. Until all she knew was loneliness.

With Ruby crying into his chest, his lips worked but no sounds came forth.

There was nothing to say.

It would not get better. They would not `find a way` to help her. The only option was if Ruby accepted death, but could she even die? Cinder might be able to burn her to death but there was no guarantee Ruby would go anywhere. If souls existed to be devoured, it stood to reason an afterlife existed for them to go to, but what was to say it would be her destination?

"I'm going to be all alone…"

Jaune pulled her tighter into him, bringing one hand up to the back of her head, fingers pushing up through her hair. Not even her hair, really. Ruby's. A dead girl's. No. A girl who had begged for help and been saved by a monster who cared enough to love that girl's sister as a sister of her own. A monster that was not one at all.

"Why?" he asked. "Why help us, why help Ozpin, if you knew this would eventually happen?"

"What else could I do? Let you all die? The only people who ever cared about me?"

Yang was the first, then him and Ozpin once Yang fell. She really was caught, stuck in a catch-22 where she could either help them and face a life alone or let them die and face the same. Given that, helping them only made sense, even if it doomed her.

"I'll find a way to save you."

"You can't." Ruby laughed against him. "B-But it's fine. I can… We can enjoy what little time there is. That way, when I'm alone again, I'll have something to remember."

"I won't let that happen," I promised her. "You won't be alone forever."

Ruby nodded.

They both knew it was an empty promise.

/-/

Despite the promised meal ahead, we ate together in a private room in the Beacon. Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Adam, Ozpin, Nora and Jaune, all eating what they knew might be their last meal together. It was a sombre affair despite all attempts to make it otherwise. The clock had already ticked six, which meant he had less than two hours until he was to meet Pyrrha.

"This is really it." Weiss said. "Do or die."

"More for us than you," Blake snorted. "You can die in that world and be thrown back into your human body. For us, it's permanent."

"It's death for us either way," Jaune argued. "Unless you think the boundary crashing down is going to be a good thing. This has to work."

"It _will_ work." It was Ozpin who said it. "It will work for it must, and desperation is a powerful source of motivation. You all know your roles in this. Correct? While Jaune and I distract Cinder, you must infiltrate her Domain. From there, your goals are threefold. Evacuate those trapped within. Douse the flames that burn underground. And find and destroy her body."

"The last two will be the same," Adam said. "While she might miss our entrance if her attention is split so many ways, I doubt she will be able to ignore her fire burning out. That would be like draining the water out Leviathan's ocean and hoping he doesn't notice."

"It won't matter," Weiss said. "Once it's done, it's done. If she is a beast of fire then she will be weaker with the fire doused. And if the clouds clear, I'll be more than strong enough to take her on. Even if we're not, putting out the fire she's been sacrificing hundreds of souls to can't be a bad thing. It might be what's weakening the boundary between worlds. The greatest fractures came as a result of both Cinder and Leviathan's actions. They're the architects behind it."

Leviathan had been one of the masterminds, for all that he didn't talk or show it like Cinder did. Hard to appear smug and intelligent when you were a giant sea serpent. _If I hadn't been such an idiot early on, this might never have happened. If I'd only stood up to Cardin and not made myself a target for her._

Then what? The world would be saved…?

Cinder would have just found another.

 _There was nothing special about me. Nothing that drew her eye. I was just one victim out of hundreds. If it wasn't me, it would have been another._ He looked around the table. _At least with me, I've been able to get this far. I can decide my own fate._

Leaving them to go in alone was frightening, as was being left on his own. He'd always had Ruby to look out for him, or before her Yang, and before Yang it had been Blake. Even before that, Cinder had been the one to watch over him, ironically enough.

His whole life had been one long run of relying on others.

Well, that was about to change. Going into the inferno alone it would be Pyrrha and her mother relying on him, whether they knew it or not. His whole family, too. Or maybe even the world. He shook his head, unable to process that or how he wasn't freaking out over the pressure. Maybe it was as Ozpin had said. Their lives now were one constant battle for survival, to the point where it was hard to fear death.

Not that they were suicidal per se, but more that they were too exhausted emotionally to feel the fear they probably should. Every one of them here, bar perhaps Blake and Adam, were on a knife's edge between life and death. He'd been that way for weeks. Ozpin, decades. _I don't feel brave, but I don't feel afraid either. More… spent. Hollow._

"You will have to depart soon," Ozpin said to them. "The journey to Cinder's Domain will take time and we must co-ordinate our strikes." He raised his mug. "A toast. To success, survival and the end of this cruel nightmare."

Glasses, mugs and bottles rose.

"Cheers!"

To an end. An end to this, one way or another.

/-/

No matter how much he tried he couldn't ignore the feel of the gun holstered under his shirt. He was wearing baggy trousers that helped to hide the fact and it was dark enough that no one noticed. Not to mention that after the recent happenings in Vale, few people bothered to come out at night. An officer like Alexander Nikos would have been able to read the signs.

Cinder was not Alexander Nikos. The man was dead, his experience dead with him. For an eldritch monster who only took human form, knowing how to tell if a person was armed would not be a priority. Or so he hoped.

He stood outside the gates of Eastfield, rubbed his hands together and checked the time.

Twenty minutes past seven. All going well, the others would be flying on Weiss' back toward Cinder's Domain. They would land a small distance outside it, with Weiss transforming into her human soul form, and the rest of the journey would be made on foot. Meanwhile, Nora would already be inside.

At least, that was where their souls were. Their bodies would all be in Beacon fast asleep and watched by Velvet and Oscar. Meanwhile, Ozpin would be casing the police department, waiting for the stroke of eight to make his move. The air was cold. His phone was heavy in his pocket, weighed down by the texts sent back and forth between him and his family.

Innocent messages, emotional messages. Laughs and chatter and an obvious `love you` on each from him. If all went to plan, they'd never need to know why he'd been so vocal tonight. If things went poorly. Well, at least they'd know he'd been thinking about them.

No fear. Still, somehow. Just emotional weight. Baggage.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha's voice came from a street off to the side. She waved a hand above her head. Not entirely sure it was him; it was only when he waved back, acknowledging it, that she jogged over. She had her hair done up on a ponytail, freshly shampooed and styled. She looked good, clad in a tight white blouse, black leggings, a tartan skirt and tan boots. She'd dressed up.

The reason why wasn't lost on him and he felt something stir in his chest.

In another time, another world, he'd have been over the moon. He could just imagine it; this night but with him finally meeting Pyrrha's father, a good man with a good job who would sit him down and grill him, making his wife laugh and his daughter blush as he gave this young man the good cop bad cop routine all on his own.

Jaune would stammer his way through, make a fool of himself and probably fail. Maybe that would be what won the man over as he realised he wasn't a womaniser. He and Pyrrha could spend time together, jog in the park, chat and stop at the pier, slick with sweat, to stare up at the moon. And then, without warning, they would turn into one another, link hands and move closer. He sighed, shaking his head and dashing the image aside.

Another life. Another world. One where he could stay in the dream.

 _Maybe this world, once this is done. But will you even want anything to do with me once your father is gone, Pyrrha?_

"Hey," she said, coming up to a stop and linking her hands behind her back. It accentuated her front, which she pushed out toward him in what _had_ to be an intentional decision. "You're early. Did you wait long?"

"Not long. You look good, Pyrrha. Great even."

"T-Thanks." She brushed a strand of red hair from before her face, green eyes flicking to his and then to the side. A small smile danced on her face. "You look good as well. I'm sorry dad pulled this on you. I know it must be weird. We're not even… well, you know." She laughed, heating up a little. "We could – I mean. Hah." She drew a breath and let it go. "Ready to get this over with?"

He checked his phone. Seven-thirty on the dot. They'd have landed by now. He took a deep breath, masking it with a smile as he let it go. It was for her sake, and something that didn't quite reach his brightly glowing, inhuman, eyes. Water in the puddles nearby ripples as though driven by a low tide.

"I'm ready. Lead on."

* * *

 **Next few chapters will be jumping back and forth between various PoV's. This one felt strange for all being Jaune's, but it made sense given the circumstances.**

 **If there was one thing I would change about this story looking back, it would be how much time pressure I put on Jaune. In the early arcs and up until the death of Leviathan it really felt like Jaune was pressured. No time, no sleep and everything happening in a matter of days. That was a good feel as it helped show how crazy and terrified Jaune was.**

 **I let time get away once Leviathan fell, however, and the "chasing Cinder" period dragged on. Not painfully long – only about a week to a week and a half of in-story time – but since the story was trying to be urban fantasy with some horror (not complete horror, obviously, not nearly enough death and despair for that) it could have done with keeping that "only a few days to survive" feel.**

 **Ah well, it's easy to look back on stuff like that.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 1** **st** **September**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	47. Chapter 47

**Here we go**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 47**

* * *

The ashen clouds rose up over the horizon, blocking out much of the sunlight beyond and casting the land beneath in shadow. The plumes of smoke, some blackened and others a pale grey, twisted upon one another like a smog. On the border, a light rain of ash had begun to fall on coniferous forest, sprinkling the trees with white. It was hot. That much was obvious from how several trees had been blackened and others were burning.

"It encroaches on the Domain it surrounds," Adam snarled. "Suffocating. Burning."

"No Grimm challenged us," Weiss said.

"Dead. They would have fought the slow demise of their Domain."

"Adam is correct," Blake said, her long and sinuous muscles bulging as she stretched before them. "The one who called this land his own would have sprinted into her Domain in a fury. It's likely Cinder sensed and killed them."

Weiss came to a stop before where the ash began. "In that case, shouldn't we enter in human forms?"

"You're the only one here who has one. Adam, Ruby and I are Grimm and this is our world. We cannot turn into humans here anymore than you can turn into Grimm in yours." The feline let its head sway from side to side, sniffing the air. "That said, we're small – and Ruby is all but intangible. So long as we don't cause a ruckus we should go unnoticed."

Should. It wasn't enough to fill her with confidence, but it was all they would be getting. Weiss felt more than a little out of place, being a human stood with a talking panther, bull and floating ghost-cloth. The lack of a weapon to call her own made it worse but not knowing what exactly they were going up against, she didn't have much of a choice. The lack of sunlight filtering through could already be felt. Her arms were sluggish, her eyes itchy.

"We'll need to avoid making a scene, then."

"She is the problem," Adam said, nodding his head toward Ruby. "Her very presence erodes the world around her. I could feel her the moment she entered our Domain."

"What!?" She spun on him. Ruby floated away without a word. "Why didn't you say that earlier? Do you think this a game? We _need_ to avoid detection. If Ruby is going to botch that, then this was information we needed to know in advance. She could be out there helping Jaune."

Ruby, spectral as she was, remained silent behind them. The grass beneath her feet withered and died, mulching down into compost. Her proximity to them didn't cause any problems but Weiss felt tired just looking at her.

"We need her," Blake said frankly. "For all our willingness, Adam and I won't be of much use against a Grimm the size of Leviathan. Nor will you without sunlight to work with. _She_ is of their Ilk. An Elder Grimm. She has the same power."

Weiss looked to Ruby sceptically. "You're an Elder Grimm? But… you're so small."

Ruby shrugged helplessly.

"Size is not the only determiner," Blake said. "Leviathan was gargantuan, and your own form is large – though even then, not nearly as much as Leviathan's. It has more to do with age, and there are few concepts as old as time itself."

Or as powerful, she supposed. Death and decay came for everyone eventually. It was one thing you couldn't outrun, and no amount of size or strength would let you defeat it. "Will she be able to kill Cinder?"

"Not with a touch," Ruby said, her voice light like the chiming of distant bells. "Grimm are immortal in spirit. They can age, however. Skin can wrinkle, bone fracture and scales give way."

"A fire can burn out," Blake added. "It's clear she wants to keep the flame burning. If you can snuff it out or even make it burn itself out, it'll run dry on fuel and die. That's going to be when she's at her weakest."

"How can you be sure?" Weiss asked.

"I can't. I'm making an assumption based on what we know. Leviathan is an ocean Grimm, however. He's strong in his Domain – the ocean. You are a sun Grimm and draw strength from that. Cinder smells of fire."

"And ash."

"Yes, but I'm beginning to wonder if ash is her Domain or just a by-product."

Weiss considered it. Nora mentioned how the only part of Cinder she saw was a tendril coming out of a fiery pit. That did indicate Cinder was in the fire belowground, with the ash being kicked up and over the land. Could it be that the ash was just something that naturally came as a result of her fire, and not actually her Domain?

Maybe Cinder's Domain was underground.

It made a strange amount of sense. Jaune had his ocean but that also entailed the land under it. That said, he couldn't control the solid rock and packed dirt. It was just the foundation his ocean dwelled upon. It could be the same here, which might mean that Cinder's ability to sense them would be limited to when they came close to fire. Not ash or smoke.

"Does the fact she smells of ash mean she has power over it?"

"No." It was Ruby who answered. "Jaune controls all water but smells of saltwater. I control time but smell of wilting flowers. The smell is just what you are close to. If Jaune lived in a river he would smell of freshwater. If I lived around animals, I'd smell of decaying flesh."

 _So Cinder smells of ash because there is a lot of ash kicked up by her fire. Not necessarily because she has any control over said ash. That's good to know._

"We should be safe entering the ash fields then."

Weiss took a step forward, closing her eyes as she entered the thick smoke. She _smelled_ more than saw the others come with her. The smoke was hot – not enough to burn but to make her skin tingle. Tiny flecks of hotter ash brushed against her and fluttered away, carried by hot air that blasted outward.

Beneath her feet grass gave way to the sensation of walking on sand. It shifted underfoot, buoying her weight and forcing her to adjust her footing. As the smoke cleared the landscape before her looked almost like a desert – with the sand a bleached-bone shade of white. Had it not been for the thick clouds cutting the sunlight above, it might have been like one of those white sand beaches.

It was hard to ignore the sweltering heat and the smell, however.

"If there were any doubts before they are gone now," Adam said. "This is her Domain."

Weiss nodded. "Then I guess we'd better find her."

/-/

Pyrrha's house was a large family home set on a small walled plot of land with a generous front garden, driveway and two cars. It was tan in colour with painted white doors and windows. Flowerbeds grew along the edges of the garden along with a tall hedge adjacent to the redbrick perimeter wall.

The house was not on fire.

It sure smelled like it was, though.

"It's a nice house," he said.

"It's home," she replied. "You live in an apartment, don't you?"

"My family has a home back in Boston, but I have an apartment here, yes."

His eyes traced over every window, every nook and cranny. The _stench_ of Cinder was everywhere and left his hands clammy. He licked his lips and resisted the urge to check his handgun was still in place. Reaching out with his mind instead he looked for the water that would be spanning all throughout the house. There was some nearby but not enough. Not even close to enough.

 _There should be waterpipes all throughout the house. Why can't I sense any?_

"Anything I should know?" he asked, buying time.

"Hm?" Pyrrha hummed, the tone noting her confusion. She brushed some strands of crimson hair from before her face. It lit up a moment later. "Oh, I should tell you about my parents. You've met dad but my mother is called Athena. Athena Nikos. She'll like you, I'm sure. She's a little conservative but not pushy about it. She's the kind of person who thinks everyone is free to live their life how they want. She values politeness, though."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Honestly, he didn't want to know more about the good people her parents were. It made what he knew happened all the worse. Even if the mother was still alive, her husband had been killed and she had no idea. In this regard, ignorance wasn't bliss.

Sighing, he rubbed his hands together and adjusted the collar of his shirt. The nervous actions were easily taken by Pyrrha who slapped a hand on his shoulder and promised he'd be fine. "They're not that bad, Jaune. I promise."

"Yeah. Not that bad…"

It was eight. Weiss and the others would be entering if they hadn't already. The longer he delayed, the more he put them at risk. It had been so easy back in the safety of the Beacon to talk about putting his life on the line for them. So damn easy. Where had that courage gone?

If he hesitated further, he'd never make it.

"Ready when you are," he lied.

"You'll like them. I promise." Pyrrha stepped nervously up to the door herself, despite her words. She knocked once and opened the door, poking her head inside and calling, "Mom. Dad. I'm back!" As she did, she waved him into the corridor. A well-lit entranceway with white walls, family photos and an ornate black metal table with a glass top.

The silence that greeted her had Jaune's nerves on edge.

At least until a door opened at the other end of a corridor and an older version of Pyrrha stepped through. Older, fuller and with the friendliest smile he'd ever seen, Athena Nikos stepped into the hallway with bright green eyes the same shade as her daughter's. Human eyes; they didn't glow.

"Welcome back." The woman took him in and smiled even brighter. "And you must be Jaune. It's such a pleasure to meet you."

"Nice to meet you as well, ma'am." he said, heart sinking as she shook his hand with the warmest expression he'd ever seen. Why couldn't she have been a horrible hag? Why couldn't she have turned her nose up and sneered at him? It would have made things so much easier. "Thank you for allowing me to come for dinner."

"No. Thank you. Pyrrha brings home so few friends."

"Not that few…"

"Oh, dear. Your track and field people don't count. You only ever talk competitions and running with them. Real friends." Athena laughed and leaned in toward him. "You'll have to look after her, I'm afraid. She tends to scare girls away by being too tomboyish and scare boys away by being better than them."

Pyrrha's face matched her hair for colour. "Mom!"

"Don't worry. I grew up with seven sisters so I'm used to girls lording over me."

"Jaune!" Pyrrha gasped. "I wouldn't- Don't encourage her! Mom!"

Athena giggled and touched Pyrrha's shoulder. "We're just teasing, dear heart. I know you're a polite young woman. I raised you after all. You have to admit you _are_ a little too focused on your heats and competitions, though. Not that it's a bad thing. I'm just happy to see you making a friend that isn't just about running for once."

Except that she'd befriended him in club, and they'd gotten to know one another through training. He refrained from pointing that out and let the two talk, drawing in a breath through his nose. His enhances senses picked up the smell of chicken and spices, pepper and paprika especially. Cinder's fire and ash hovered over it all as though the house was covered in cigarette butts. There was nothing that made him think of an ambush.

He'd fully expected he and Pyrrha to come home and find her mother dead – the house turned into some horrible torture trap the Saw movies would be proud of. Oddly enough, the fact his expectations hadn't been fulfilled only made him worry more.

"Where's Mr Nikos?" he asked.

"Alex? He's upstairs in his office," Athena said. "Just taking care of some last business. It's been a busy few weeks for him." She hesitated and looked up toward the ceiling, a hand on her cheek.

Jaune was sure he knew why. This woman was worrying about the changes her husband was going through. Even if Cinder cared enough to try and fit in, there would be differences between how she handled herself and the real Alexander Nikos did. The mannerisms, word choices and even the way he walked would all make it seem like he was changing. Athena probably thought that was due to the sudden uptick in his workload.

She didn't say that to him, however. It wasn't something to lay on a visitor.

"He'll come down once we're ready," she said, smiling again. "After all, it was he who invited you here." She giggled. "It's the first time he's done that with someone. You must have impressed him." She winked. "Or made him nervous."

"Mom!" Pyrrha hissed, flushing. "It's not like that. Jaune and I were just looking at the lighthouse together. We weren't on a date or anything. Tell her, Jaune."

"We bumped into one another," he confirmed.

"Hm. If you say so-"

He knew the tone. It was the same one his own mother gave when she wanted to tease him.

Pyrrha…

She had a wonderful family.

Athena shuffled them into and through the kitchen. The dining room lay on the other side, with an open archway leading into the living room. She sat Jaune and Pyrrha down in that with some soda to drink and a promise that dinner would be ready in just a few minutes.

Cinder wasn't there. Jaune let out a breath and settled down, but there was no stopping his eyes scanning the room, noting the doors and windows, all routes of escape or avenues of attack. It was dark out and he was sure he could smell Grimm if they came near – but with the smell of fire and ash so thick in his nose, it would be easy to miss something subtler.

"I'm so sorry about my mom," Pyrrha said, still flushed from embarrassment. She sat on the couch beside the one he was on, even though there'd been space on his. "I don't know what's gotten into her but she's not normally that teasing."

"Hm? It's fine." He smiled as best he could. It wasn't her mother he was worried about. "She really cares for you. And vice versa, I guess. I thought it was nice."

"I know but… sometimes I wonder if I should be doing what you are. Living apart, I mean."

"It's not all it's cracked up to be."

Pyrrha watched him curiously. "Do you miss living with your parents?"

"A little. It was crowded. Our house is bigger than this – on the outskirts of the city – but with nine people at once, it feels more crowded. Course, my dad wasn't home all that often. He's military," he explained before Pyrrha could think she'd stepped on a landmine.

"Ah. He's out of the country, then?"

"Not at the moment. He won a job training recruits last year. But before that, yes. He did a stint in Japan and was also stationed in Hawaii for a bit. Also South Korea."

"That must have been nice."

"He said you get used to it after a while and it loses its appeal. The most annoying thing for him was having to buy a car in every place he went because it wasn't worth it to transport one between countries. That and having to fight for time to call us." Jaune laughed. "Splitting a Skype call between eight people isn't easy. And with mom being a lawyer… I honestly don't know how she found the time to raise us all."

"Babysitters?"

"Probably at first, but my older sisters took that role when they grew up."

"It sounds like you really miss them."

"I… I guess I do. It's been a few weeks since I saw them."

Back before his Awakening. Christ, it really had been only two or three weeks since that happened. It felt like longer. The most he'd had with his parents since was telephone calls. They'd offered to come to Vale, but he didn't want them in danger. And he couldn't go back to Boston for the same reason.

Maybe when this was all over…

"I'd like to meet them," Pyrrha said cautiously. "They sound like nice people."

"I'm sure they'd like you." His mother would love anyone who was a friend of his, especially a girl. His sisters would be the real problem; they'd swamp Pyrrha and subject her to hundreds of questions in the span of a few minutes.

Fuck. He really wanted to see them again.

/-/

Another set of souls saw their coming and fled.

On the vast dunes of ash it was hard for them to hide – especially Blake and Adam, who stood out like sore thumbs. The few souls they saw, looking like perfectly normal human people, obviously knew what they were. It wasn't hard to imagine an invading Grimm killing a few that got in its way before Cinder brought them down. Of Nora, there was no sign. She would have come toward them if she saw them.

The Domain was as she'd described it, however. Vast plumes of smoke and ash were belched up from holes cut deep into the surface, leading down into a vast series of interconnected caverns that burned with fire.

"We can't go down there," Blake said needlessly. "We'd burn to a crisp."

As if to prove that fact a roaring sound echoed below and the ground rumbled. They stepped back from the hole, watching as a great spout of super-heated steam roared up like a geyser. Ash and smoke was expelled with it, blinding them for a few moments until the flow of fire below lessened and faded away. The rock still looked red hot to the touch.

"It's like a warren of tunnels," Weiss said. "The fire must be burning from a central location – probably the one Nora saw people being sacrificed to. These tunnels must connect to it, either because Cinder made them or because the heat and pressure burned a way through."

"It could be pressurised," Ruby added. "If there isn't enough ventilation for the main fire, the pressure would force a way."

Gas explosions? Possible. Weiss wasn't physicist or chemist enough to know any better on that front, but the overall hypothesis seemed apt. Assuming again that it even worked that way in this twisted world. One thing was for sure, they couldn't go down there and follow the tunnels to find Cinder. It would work, but one rush of flame like that and they'd be incinerated. They couldn't follow from above, either. The ground was covered in such a thick layer of ash that even if there had been some obvious disforming to the landscape they couldn't see it.

"Any ideas?" Weiss asked.

"Travel to the middle," Adam snorted. "Fire spreads evenly. The flame must be in the centre."

 _Fire spreads based on fuel. It's not equidistant._ That said, the fuel here was souls and there was nothing below ground that ought to have made it spread quicker in any one direction. If the ash was being expelled to encompass all the surrounding lands, then Cinder's Domain was a circle ever growing. In that event, Adam was right. Her `throne` would be in the centre.

"Nora said it was a crater. We'll not have any landmarks to work by."

"We need to find Nora, then," Ruby said. She sighed. "At least Cinder hasn't discovered us yet."

"How sure are you of that?" Weiss asked.

"Certain," Adam grunted. "If she knew of our presence, we would be very much aware of that fact."

Not exactly the most inspiring of words. Weiss sighed and trudged on, trying to find something to navigate from in the thick smoke blocking out the sky. Some light filtered through – they wouldn't have been able to see otherwise – but it was so weak that she felt perpetually fatigued. If her body in the real world wasn't under a sun lamp, she had the feeling she might have collapsed already.

"More souls," Blake said, sniffing the air. "Over the dune ahead." She plopped down onto her rear. "Perhaps you should speak to them alone."

Weiss spared a glance for the monstrous panther, huge bull, ghost and nodded. "Perhaps you're right. I'll ask for directions."

Scaling the dune and looking down the other side, she saw two people a little further along. Distant enough to have not heard their approach. They were talking to one another. Rather than shout out and risk them running again, she made her way down and toward them. Two men, one about ten years younger than the other. Both Asian. Did Cinder's power spread so far, or were they American?

"Hello," she called when she was closer. "Excuse me. Do you have a moment?"

The two turned to face her. They didn't speak a word.

"I'm looking for the most central location in this place. A crater where the fire burns. Where people gather for someone to be sacrificed. Do you know of it?"

The one on the left, the older one, nodded.

"Wonderful. Can you point me in the right direction?"

Together they pointed, raising their hands toward the left. As far as she could see there was nothing there to note the direction. No mountains, hills or smoke to go by. And yet they had both pointed that way at the same time. Neither spoke, however, even if they understood her.

"Thank you…"

They kept staring at her.

When Blake and the others came over the dune, they finally reacted, turning and jogging away. By the time the Grimm reached her, the two were well and truly gone, over a dune and out of sight.

"You should have stopped them," Blake said. "What will we do if they raise the alarm?"

"Would they? They're prisoners here as much as anyone else."

"Their lives would be safe if they served her. Or so they might think. To some, it would not matter how many died – so long as they live." Her feline head turned away. "It's too late now. Which way?"

Weiss pointed. "They both said that way. I'm not sure what they're using to gauge that, though."

Some internal or Domain-related feeling? She couldn't remember feeling anything of the sort when she was a prisoner of the Lord of Sunlight, but she _had_ gained some small amount of its power. So had Jaune, with the ability to control water even before he defeated Leviathan.

Were all these people slowly gaining a little of Cinder's power? If so, it didn't worry her so it must have been sharing instead of taking. And however much it was, it wasn't enough to fight her. _It might be enough to sense where the fire is, though. In the same way Jaune can sense water._

"We've no reason not to trust them. Let's go. What time is it?"

"Time may pass differently here," Blake said.

"It's 8:14," Ruby said. "And twenty-one seconds. That is a fact."

"I see." She didn't. Powers, she assumed. "Then we had best pick up the pace. Ozpin will launch his attack soon."

/-/

"Dinner's ready!"

8:15. Still no sign of Cinder. What if she wasn't here? What if she'd tricked him by inviting him here and then dodging, using a moment where she _knew_ he'd be occupied to strike at Beacon, his family or even to kill the interlopers in her Domain?

Jaune's entire body was shaking as he sat down. The table was set for four and rectangular. An empty seat at the head was left for Pyrrha's father while he and Pyrrha sat on one side and Athena took the other. The family's finest silverware had been brought out, evidenced by how overly clean it was. Roasted vegetables, chicken, gravy and stuffing balls made up the meal of the day. It smelled lovely.

Apart from the ash, of course.

"Alex!" Athena called upward. "It's time for-" A door at the back opened. "Ah, you're here."

Cinder strode into the room with a wicked smile and eyes fixed on his. They smouldered like small candles. A cigarette burned between his lips. "I am," he said. "And so are you, Jaune Arc. It's good to see you again."

His muscles tensed. The gun was pressed against the backrest of his chair.

"You're smoking again!" Athena despaired. "Alex, I've told you about that. Put it out. You know I won't accept it at the table."

"Hm. Of course." Cinder picked it out her mouth and ground it to dust on a metallic tray on the kitchen side. He swept forward, passed and around Athena and to the single chair, which he drew out without once taking his eyes off Jaune. "You've outdone yourself, my dear. This looks wonderful."

"Thank you." Athena kissed Cinder's cheek. There was a small reaction, the tiniest hint of stiffness from Cinder. This wasn't her mate. Her mate was dead, slain by Jaune. It went unnoticed by Athena or Pyrrha, who didn't know to look for it.

 _I'm sitting at the dinner table with a monster who wants to destroy our entire world. What the hell am I doing?_

As cutlery clinked and echoed, he found himself waiting something to happen. He watched Cinder's fingers for the slightest sign of heat. Chicken was cut into, juicy and white on the insides. A piece rose to her mouth – or his – and was swallowed easily.

Jaune mimicked the action. It tasted of ash.

"Dear," Athena said. "There's something wrong with the water again."

"Not working?" Cinder asked, smirking at Jaune. "Never mind. I'll call a plumber tomorrow."

 _She's cut the water supply to the house. Of course she has. She knew I was coming._ He reached out, sensing small pockets in bottles and toilet bowls. Not enough to use in any significant way. There was more outside, distant and underground. Getting it out the pipes would be close to impossible.

"Tell us a little about yourself, Jaune," Cinder said.

"Me?" He coughed nervously. "There's not much to say. I study at Eastfield like Pyrrha. I want to be a doctor when I'm older. I like to run in my free time, which is how we met."

"You live away from your family?"

"Yes."

"You must miss them." Cinder didn't even bother to hide her smirk. "How long has it been since you spoke to them?"

Fear raced through him. He swallowed, fighting the urge to pull out his phone and check on them. They'd been fine earlier when they exchanged texts. She was playing with him; trying to make him nervous. The threat was clear as day.

"Recently," he said. "The recent happenings in Vale have had them nervous."

"They've done that for all of us," Athena said. "Hence why I told Pyrrha not to go out so much…"

"I just wanted to see the lighthouse."

"Now, Athena, there's no reason to deny her that." Cinder laughed warmly. "After all, curiosity is something that should be rewarded. A thirst to discover the truth. To gain understanding of things. We should encourage such drive." Her eyes swung to Jaune once more, lips curling into a vicious smile. "Don't you think so, Jaune?"

"Seems a waste to me. It's just a PR stunt."

"Such a small answer. Where's your sense of adventure? Of mystery?"

"You think it's something more!?" Pyrrha asked excitedly.

"No," Jaune said.

"Who can say?" Cinder raised her hands, balancing her fork in one as she let the chicken dance between her and Pyrrha. "Certainly, the official story is that it's PR, but you have to admit it's rather strange that it could appear so quickly. One might even say it's magica-"

A glass clinked and fell. Water spilled out over the tablecloth.

"Sorry," Jaune said, drawing his hand back. "Is there a tea towel I can use to wash that up?"

"I'll fetch one." Athena hurried up and to the counter.

Pyrrha moved some of the plates aside, saving the food before it could become damp. Beyond her, Cinder watched with an amused smile, attention on him once more. She knew it hadn't been an accident, just as much as she knew why he'd done it.

Some topics of conversation were best avoided. Some secrets should be left as such.

Once he had a towel in hand he dabbed at the table, muttering apologies to Athena and mopping up the mess he'd made while she poured him another glass of flavoured water. Before he'd even finished, he asked, "What is it you do, Athena?"

"Me? Oh, I'm a freelancer. I write for fashion magazines."

"Fashion?"

"That's right. Did you like what Pyrrha wore tonight?"

Pyrrha choked on some broccoli.

"It looked good," he said, making her panic all the worse. As long as the conversation was on safe topics like that it was fine. He asked a few more questions – what magazines, what it was like and how she got into writing.

The phone rang a moment later, buying more time.

Cinder stood. "Allow me."

When he moved away, Jaune checked his watch. 8:25. Not even half an hour. Christ, he had to keep her busy for as long as possible, but he'd really hoped it would have been an hour or more already. Conversation at the table dimmed as Cinder picked up the phone off the wall, leaning against it and speaking.

"Alexander Nikos here."

Frantic noise came from the other side.

"Now?" Cinder asked. Her eyes flicked back to him, glowing ominously. "I see. Unfortunately, I'm busy tonight. You'll need to take care of it."

Judging from the _loud_ reaction on the other side, that was not a response the caller expected. Something _Alexander Nikos_ would never say. Something he ought to respond to. An attack by unknown assailants, for instance. The chatter on the phone sounded frantic enough for Ozpin to have made his move.

"I'm busy," Cinder interrupted. "You can handle it yourselves. I will talk to you later."

He hung up the receiver, then reached down one hand under and tugged the wire out the bottom, pulling the phone off the line. It dangled, unnoticed by Athena or Pyrrha who were far too busy chatting with and at him. A bead of sweat ran down Jaune's brow as Cinder came back and sat down. Reasons _why_ she might be prepared now to throw away her cover flashed through his mind. None of them were good.

"Problems at work?" Athena asked.

"Nothing too serious. It shouldn't interrupt our evening."

"They sounded worried," Jaune said. All eyes turned to him. "On the phone, I mean. Are you sure it's okay to ignore it?"

Take the bait. God damn it, take the bait. Be dragged toward Ozpin and back again, giving Weiss and Ruby as much time as possible. He couldn't buy it alone. Worse, he didn't know what Cinder's lack of care for the station meant. Was she done there? Had she already achieved everything she had set out to? If so, what did that mean for the life of Alexander Nikos and his family?

"You needn't worry." Cinder chuckled. "I know what I'm doing."

"I know, darling. It's just those hunters. They have the whole city on edge."

"Hm. They certainly do. Violent scum, I say. What about you, Jaune? What do you think of them?"

"What is there to think?" he asked, lying easily. "They're criminals. Nothing to it."

"I'm glad to hear you say it." Cinder leaned her elbows on the table and her chin atop her linked hands. "So tell me, when will you be turning yourself in, Hunter?"

All conversation at the table halted.

* * *

 **Straight for the throat.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 8** **th** **September**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	48. Chapter 48

**Chapter is a little short today due to various little real-life things. Sorry about that.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 48**

* * *

The awkward silence stretched out for a long moment, with Pyrrha and Athena looking between him and Cinder. His heart thudded in his chest to match the sound of waves crashing against a shore in his mind. His face showed his shock as well, but given how sudden her accusation was, that worked in his favour.

"Hunter?" he asked, voice caught between shock and laughter. "Me!?"

Cinder's eyes narrowed.

What had she expected, for him to gasp, recoil and shout that she'd figured him out? He lied. Buckled down and lied with the best of them. "That was a joke, right?" He looked to Pyrrha, as if questioning whether she was in on it. "This is some protective father joke. Does he do it for everyone that comes over?"

"Um. No." Pyrrha shook her head and looked to Cinder, the seed of doubt placed in her mind. "That wasn't a funny one, dad."

"Alex," Athena hissed. "I hope you have a good reason for saying that." Her eyes slid over to Jaune and back to her husband and her voice lowered. "And if you did know someone was a hunter, you wouldn't invite them into our home. Surely. I hope this is a joke on your part."

Cinder was trapped.

Trapped between her cover and her knowledge. She could push on with him being a hunter and lose what she had here or let him get away with it and keep her cover. His breathing quickened, wondering which approach she'd take.

It could go either way.

If she decided she no longer needed her cover, or deemed his death bigger than it, she could just kill him right here – and to hell with whatever Alexander Nikos' family thought about it. She could kill herself after, or even claim herself a hunter and implicate them further and further. Jaune kept his hands above the table, despite how they wanted to itch down to touch his gun again, just to confirm it was still there.

Cinder's smile grew. "A jest," she teased. "Or maybe a test. You never know who might say yes."

"Dad." Pyrrha laughed shakily. "Christ, you scared me there." Her eyes found his. "Jaune can't be a hunter. That's ridiculous."

"I agree," Athena said, "He's far too polite. Now, let's not talk about crime at the table."

"How about family then?" Cinder proposed. "You've met ours. Why not tell us a little about your own? They live in Boston, no?"

"They do." As Cinder knew. "My parents and seven sisters."

"It must be hard to look after such a big family." Cinder's eyes met his, burning bright. The smell of fire weaved around them both, leaving his mouth full of ash as he ate. "Too many to watch over at any one point. Do you not worry for them? Big cities aren't always safe."

"I trust them. They can look after themselves."

"I'm sure. If you're able to live alone so far away, they must be self-sufficient." Cinder leaned one elbow on the table and her chin atop her hand. "Where _do_ you live, anyway? I should give you a drive back tonight. It's not safe to be wandering around on your own."

"Oh, that's a good idea," Athena said, failing to notice Jaune's tension. "It wouldn't be fair to have Jaune walk all the way back when we invited him out."

"That won't be necessary. I can call an uber."

"There's no need for that, Jaune. A friend of my daughter is a friend of mine. Just tell me where I'm taking you."

"My apartment block," he lied, rattling off its old address. It had been destroyed and Cinder knew that, but he could just ague he was staying in one nearby. All going well, Cinder would be killed tonight. He just needed to buy time.

"Enough," Athena said. "If we keep talking about leaving, Jaune will think we're trying to give him a hint." She leaned forward to pour him some juice. "Why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself? What you like and what your hobbies are."

He spared a look to Cinder. She appeared resigned – even disinterested – leaning back in her chair and letting herself be interrupted. Her eyes closed and he tensed, ready to knock a glass off the table if she showed any sign of falling asleep. Ruby and the others should be closing in. All he had to do was keep her awake and here. As such, he laughed loudly and made sure to answer at much the same volume.

"Well, I've always had a thing for sports…"

/-/

Vale was in uproar.

Guns barked, sirens wailed, and people screamed as the police station was assaulted by hooded and masked figures wielding all manner of weapons – many automatic. The cries of the wounded mixed with the alarms and screams of those running away, though there weren't many of the latter. The assault began over six minutes ago, and most civilians were long gone. Those that remained were the people that played dead or tried to hide, who were now realising that the attackers had no interest in them and were finally crawling to safety.

"To think I've dedicated my life to protecting people, only for it to end like this."

Human on human violence, bloodshed and death. He'd always feared it – the possibility that a Grimm might take over a high Government official. In his head, he'd been afraid of the President, a Senator or any other important figure. This was less dangerous than that, and yet still painful in its own way. The people they were fighting did not deserve it.

"It's necessary," Velvet said, stood beside him on a rooftop a far way away. He was too old to fight like that now. He'd only slow them down. "And no one came who didn't know what they were getting into," she added. "You made sure of that."

"I don't discount any of that, and yet I still despair." Ozpin watched through binoculars as an explosion ripped through the car garage, belching smoke out into the night sky. Six hunters dashed into the entrance, weapons at the ready. It would be a long trek to the holding cells and there was no guarantee they wouldn't lose more people than they rescued. And whatever the result, the hunters would be despised across the city. If they weren't already. "Would that `necessity` assuaged guilt, Velvet, I would be less bothered about tonight. Alas, it does not."

"The station won't be well populated. Even if every single person in there _and_ on our side dies, that's fifty people. If Cinder isn't killed, we're looking at over fifty million. And that's just within the first few years."

He would agree, and yet she was nowhere to be seen. Had they underestimated her? Was Jaune safe? Did all this death have a purpose? He had to believe so. If only to leave Cinder caught in her own mind, mulling their actions and planning her next moves. Anything that might draw her attention away from her Domain, even if she herself did not move in reaction to their attack.

"Thank you for your words, Velvet."

The girl shrugged. "I'm just pointing out the obvious. Even if I don't like this either…"

More gunfire rattled from inside, and sirens grew louder in the distance. It was too soon for police from other cities to react to this, if they were going to, but Vale cars on patrol would be coming back, while other officers off-duty would feel bound to respond. Cinder ought to have been among them, but something told him she would not be.

Ozpin raised his phone to his mouth. "Two cars approaching from the west. Is the ambush ready?"

" _Yes sir,"_ a voice replied. _"We'll do what's needed."_

What's needed. He sighed. Did any of them believe that, or did they just repeat it as a way to make themselves feel better? He was the same. Distracting Cinder was necessary; shooting on officers was not. That was just a means to an end and something they did to draw her attention.

"Shoot to wound," he instructed. "We only need to pin them down." Ozpin tracked the cars. "Now!"

The police cars cut across what appeared to be an empty intersection on approach to the station. From the side roads, however, came two vans, noticeably skipping red lights to _crash_ into the flanks of the patrol cars. The loud screech of metal and tyres grated with the dying whine of the sirens as they were pushed across the road, one of them even rolling and tipping onto its side.

Doors on the vans slid open and armed men and women dashed out, weapons at the ready and shouting demands. There was no return fire thankfully and Ozpin breathed a sigh of relief when the police officers were dragged out frightened and wounded, but alive, and sure to remain so in the immediate future. It could have been much worse. The officers were lined up on their knees and their hands tied behind their backs. From such a distance it was impossible to make out expressions or what was said, but he imagined they were split between anger and fear.

"Manson," he said into his phone. "News on Nikos?"

" _No movement, Ozpin. His house is quiet."_

Nothing?

"And Jaune?"

" _Still inside, least as far as I can tell. No news is good news."_

Safe, then, or one would hope. Jaune would not go down without a gunshot or visible display of power, so Cinder must still be busy. And willing to ignore this. Worrying. Very much so. "Velvet, I want you to head back to the Beacon and keep the other hunters out of trouble."

"And leave you here?"

"I am not entirely helpless, my dear. Go. You and Weiss are to inherit my work. It's time you had some experience in charge."

"This isn't some `get rid of me so you can rush in and die` thing, is it?"

He couldn't help but laugh. "That wouldn't serve much of a purpose now, would it? I am an old man, Velvet. I shall be watching over things from here. I simply fear some of our more impetuous might try and help. There must be someone to keep them from doing so. Our goal here tonight is not necessarily to win. As sorrowful as that sounds."

Meaning they didn't need to come back alive. Or at all.

"I understand." And she did, for she'd been raised by him. "I'll see it done."

He listened to Velvet lope away and down a fire escape. Even if she didn't fight as much as the others, she'd grown up in the Beacon and learned from him. Not by design at first. She'd been such a curious child and he had no idea at the time how to raise her and Oscar. It just made sense to keep them with him and out of trouble, and they'd picked things up on their own. By the time he started growing old and thinking of the future, Velvet was already working alongside him.

"Weiss and she will do well by the hunters, assuming they are necessary after tonight."

There was no telling, of course. The lighthouse hinted at this being a phenomenon which happened more than once in history. A cyclical event that would come time and time again, like the waxing of a moon and yet so much greater. Maybe it would take a hundred years, maybe more. If that could be bought for Weiss and Velvet, that would be enough. They could use it to research and prepare for those who came after them. Drawing his phone back up, Ozpin sighted a few more cars approaching.

"Southbound on Sixth. Closing in fast."

/-/

"It's - ah - getting harder – hah - to breathe."

"That's a good sign," Blake wheezed, turning her feline head from the hot wind. "It means we're close to the epicentre."

The hot ash had picked up and burned the air around it leaving wavy lines before their eyes that distorted vision worse than any desert mirage. The moisture had all but been burned out of the air as well making the act of breathing dry and hot. It was little wonder all plant and animal life had died.

"Nora didn't mention any of this…"

"To be fair, she likely didn't feel it." Ruby was unbothered by any of it. Her form was spectral and so she didn't have the nerve endings to _feel_ the heat, let alone suffer from it. "Jaune never had to breathe underwater when he came over and you were untouched by gravity. That's because you didn't have physical bodies here."

And now they did. Even in her human form, she was a Grimm masquerading as human, not actually one. She had lungs now, and those burned with every breath she took. Nora had no idea how much worse it was to exist here. Her soul form kept her safe from the worst of it.

If she thought she had it bad, Adam was bent double. The bull could do little to protect himself and his hooves weren't ideal for shifting ash or hardened and slippery rock. He was managing, but it was clear he was exhausted. They all were. As they got closer and closer to the centre of Cinder's Domain, the air became hotter and every step harder to take. The very ground beneath them burned, and Blake had made it a habit to hop from one foot to the other and avoid any bare rock.

 _We didn't calculate for this. We focused so much on how to beat Cinder that we never considered the challenges of entering her Domain._ There was a question in the back of her head whether they'd even be able to stand the heat where she resided. What if it was so strong they couldn't get close enough to attack?

"More people," Ruby noted.

That was another thing. As they came closer to where they assumed Cinder was, the number of her thralls increased. Souls of men, women and children lingered through the area. They came dressed in variety of clothing from sportswear to pyjamas and even regular clothing. To a one, they avoided their party, shying away from Blake and Adam and scurrying off to hide whenever they came close.

Weiss couldn't believe they'd do that to them and yet wait close to where they were being used as human sacrifices. Why not at least hide in the ash wastes and hope Cinder didn't find them? If she had plenty to pick from here, it wasn't like she would waste energy hunting down those further away. Were they that defeated? If there was one thing to say for everything, it was that Nora should have no problem spotting them.

At least Cinder hadn't noticed them. They knew because they were facing ash and smoke, not hellfire and brimstone. _This is hard enough already. There's no way we could actually face her in her Domain. The very environment is killing us._

Water was fine. The sky was fine. This heat?

Nothing could survive it for long.

And the hotter it got, the closer they knew they were coming.

"Keep moving," Weiss panted, trudging on and ignoring two souls that fled in a panic. "We can't stop and rest when she might come back any second. Need to find this fire and kill it."

"How?" Adam grunted.

"Pour ash on it?" Ruby suggested. "Or knock rocks down. I guess we'll see when we get there."

As unbothered by the heat as she was, Weiss had a suspicion it would be Ruby who had to snuff out the fire. None of them could hope to. Luckily, her powers would be suited for that. No one else could erode rock and cause a cave-in like she could.

They marched on for another five or six minutes. It felt like longer. The air became hotter still, forcing them to shield their eyes with every step taken. Hers prickled and tingled as the very moisture evaporated from her body. The wind picked up as well, likely produced by the fire and expelled from vents underground. Speaking of the ground, Weiss could feel heat creeping up her legs, speaking of an unbearably hot fire just below.

 _If Cinder was awake, now would be an opportune time for the floor to crack under us._

Thankfully, her morbid thoughts didn't come to fruition. They went as unnoticed as the hundreds of other souls within the area – and because they all seemed to crowd around her central location, that let them get even this close without detection.

As they passed up another rise, Weiss sagged and fell to her knees.

Blake was there, catching her. "Is it the heat?"

"N-No. It's the sunlight." She looked up. The sky was black and misty – except it wasn't. It was the thick smog covering the landscape like a dome. The light they were seeing by was a combination of internal light from the fires reflected off the smoke, and a very small amount of natural sunlight that filtered through. For vision, it was mostly light from the fires. Which she apparently couldn't sustain herself off.

 _Damn Grimm logic. How does this make sense?_

"I'll be okay," she said, using Blake to drag herself up. "It's that combined with the heat and walking."

"Hm." Blake sounded like she didn't believe her. "You'll be no use in a fight."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

"Hope isn't -" Adam cut off with a rumbling snort. "Someone approaches."

Weiss looked up, following his gaze. It was a humanoid figure. Through the distance and heat it was hard to make out detail, but the very fact it approached at all left her sure it was Nora. Or Cinder, though the latter didn't seem likely.

When the figure waved their hand above their head in greeting, Weiss breathed a long sigh of relief.

Nora ran over without care for heat or oxygen, showing yet again that while her soul was here, her body was not. How she could smile, Weiss had no idea. Probably relief. Or dumb hope. She arrived and caught Weiss' hands in her own, smiling brightly.

"You made it."

"For a certain definition of the word, yes." Weiss panted harshly. There was no time to waste and she wasn't sure she could wait much longer. "Tell me you know where the fire is. We have to find it now. This… We can't survive here much longer."

"I know where it is. I stayed close so I wouldn't lose track of it."

Thank God for that. Finding the flame was only the first hurdle and had nearly done them in. The four of them traipsed after Nora, struggling to stay upright as she led them down the latest dune of ash and over toward another. Nora climbed up it without trouble. The ash didn't even shift beneath her feet. They, however, had to stumble and stagger up, dealing with gravity and ash slipping down like fine sand. In the end, Blake had to dig her paws in while Weiss clung to her back, all but carrying her up and over.

There, on the other side, a hardened rocky slope led down into a crater. There was no ash – likely because it was expelled from the burning and bubbling hole in the centre with such force that it didn't settle nearby. Like a great crack rent into the ground, it reminded Weiss of the gas crater in Turkmenistan. One she'd seen in pictures, and which people called the Gateway to Hell.

This seemed more apt for that, however, seeing as there was no discernible bottom to it. As they came close and fought the heat rolling across the rock in waves, they could see that the flame burned down below, then spread down what had to be ten or more channels, where it no doubt spread throughout her Domain.

The fire itself burned at the centre – and _fire_ didn't do it justice. That suggested a singular flame or some kindling burning. This was a freestanding inferno some hundred metres wide, which didn't appear to have anything to burn off. On Earth, it might have been presumed to be a perpetual gas fire, if such a thing could exist.

Here, they knew it burned off souls. Used them as kindling and fuel.

"Ruby," she gasped. "Do something. Kill it."

"Where's Cinder?"

"I don't know and don't care. We're going to burn up here if you don't end that fire! Chances are she's down there somewhere." She sagged, one hand on the rock, only to hiss as it burned her. The plan went out the window. It had to. They'd die otherwise.

Ruby floated toward the edge of the pit and looked down. The fire was as hot as a sun and the sound of the burning was high pitched. Almost like it was screaming instead of roaring. Christ, maybe it was. Maybe those were the human screams Nora spoke of.

"Don't fall in!" Blake yelled. "It may _seem_ a good idea to use your powers to speed up the fire and make it run out, but it feeds on souls and it might feed on you."

Nodding back, Ruby floated into the pit and inspected the edges. The rock and the walls, looking no doubt for any weaknesses. Seemingly finding something that caught her attention, she pushed her hands into the rocky surface and closed her eyes.

Time passed.

Seconds to them, but if the loud and ominous cracks, rains of dust and the withered appearance of the rock itself to was to go by, more time passed for it than did them. Cracks slowly began to appear, spreading like spiderwebs and growing larger and larger. More dust rained down, rock eroding in what would have taken thousands to hundreds of thousands of years, all spaced into a minute. Several larger rocks were shaken loose as rock holding it to the wall eroded. They tumbled down into the fire.

More followed. Few at first, but the number growing in intensity until boulders larger than Ruby herself were falling, crashing down into the fire. They fell through it, and if there was any ground further below, they didn't hear the impact.

 _It's not working. There's too much fire and not enough rock._

Ruby didn't stop, however. Keeping one hand in the rock, she started to float around the perimeter, trailing her hand into the rockface maybe three or four metres down from the rim. So close to the fire it had to be close to catching her. As she spun around it, the rock began to crumble and falter. Far from natural erosion, she cut a thin line _below_ several tonnes of solid stone. Once that line weakened, the top later, suddenly unsupported, started to topple and fall inward.

The first wave of rock pushed through the fire but did little to douse it. The second hit a moment later, making the flames lick and dance around it but again doing nothing. The third, however, struck one of the tunnels and sealed it, and the fire fluttered. Its direction changed as well, no longer burning in every direction, but to the side away from that tunnel. Were they feeding the fire somehow? Something to do with the sacrifices.

There had to be a reason Cinder took the time to dig them, even if they were only to let the heat spread across her Domain. What if it was also to draw in fuel or connect _other_ sacrificial pits to this central fire? What was to say this one that Nora had seen was the only one?

"The tunnels!" Weiss yelled. "Seal the tunnels!"

More rocks fell and Ruby blocked them one by one, using her powers to collapse some in places and pile rocks into others. As they were blocked, the wind blowing into the fire tapered and died. The fire grew taller and hotter, and for a moment Weiss feared she'd made it worse.

And then, it fluttered. Flickered.

Wavered.

"It's working," Adam hissed. "It's faltering."

Deep below the earth, something stirred.

/-/

Cinder gasped.

It was sudden, out of character and without warning. Her head shot up. Her eyes widened, bulging for a moment and glowing with intense light. For the first time, something other than smug satisfaction and vindictive glee appeared on her face.

Shock. And maybe even a little fear.

"Alex?" Athena asked, placing a hand on his arm. "What's the matter?"

"You!" Cinder's eyes were not on her `wife` or `daughter`. They were on his, right as he picked up his glass of juice. The water in it rippled, reacting to her or just his own nervous energy. "This is your doing," she hissed.

Him?

 _Weiss and Ruby! They must have found her._ His heart beat faster as excitement settled in. If he kept her in this world now, she'd not be able to react and protect herself. He held up his free hand, feigning confusion.

"Mr Nikos? I'm not sure what you mean. Is something the matter?"

Cinder stared at him.

Her eyes flicked away a second later, to the phone she'd unhooked, putting two and two together and finally understanding that the attack on the station hadn't been to distract her from him, but to distract her from the fact _he_ was the distraction.

For once, he let his own lips curl up. Check and mate.

The smile died a second later, when Cinder's eyes flashed and the air around her began to _reek_ of ash. She stood, knocking her chair down and drawing all eyes to her. One hand slammed down on the other table even as the other came up in front of her. There, before the eyes of Athena and Pyrrha, a spark sprung to life. Their mouths fell open. Cinder cast it to the side, to the kitchen. To the gas cooker and other appliances.

Jaune tackled Pyrrha to the floor.

The world exploded.

* * *

 **Don't taunt until you've actually won, Jaune. Might want to keep that in mind next time.**

 **Still, the infiltrating party have managed to damage the fire in Cinder's Domain, catching her attention. Good on you. Now try not to die.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 15** **th** **September**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	49. Chapter 49

**So, people may have realised already but we're actually in the final set of chapters for this story, which is why they are a little shorter in terms of length than my average chapters. I'm experimenting a little with this story on the idea of taking more time for less words in the last few chapters to better allow me to not lose any plot threads, etc.**

 **Normally, if I'm aiming for 6-7k, I'm rushing a little bit to get the content done. That lets errors slip through which aren't a huge deal beginning or mid-story as I can incorporate them, but can be at the end of one. Anyway, this should only be for this story and only for the last few chapters.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 49**

* * *

The land itself trembled.

The fires still burned but weakly and with their last dregs. The result, through some cosmic reaction that made no sense, was that the ground under them shook and cracked, gripped in an earthquake that sent ash tumbling down into the crater and down onto the fire, smothering it further. The air shimmered and smoke belched out.

And the noise. Oh God, the noise. It was hundreds of thousands of souls screaming.

"It's working!" Weiss screamed over the top of it all. "It's working!"

She had no idea if it was. This could be the end times for all she knew, but the fact it was a reaction made her assume otherwise. Underground, she could hear Cinder's roars. That had to mean they were doing something.

Blake and Adam skittered away from the precipice, slipping and sliding over ash that washed in and threatened to drag them down. Weiss grabbed Nora's arm and the two did the same, crawling up out the crater as Ruby continued to fly around below, dislodging more rocks to fall down and smother the flames that burned hot still. Brighter, even. It seemed like even they didn't want to be put out.

And still no sightings of Cinder. Jaune and Ozpin must have been buying more time than they hoped.

"Adam, Blake, get the souls away from here. We can't let Cinder rekindle the fire."

The souls of the people caught in the Domain lingered nearby, defeated and pessimistic, standing around even as the ground cracked under their feet. They very well might have fallen in and fed their souls to the flames.

Words wouldn't convince them, so Blake leapt forward on all fours, snapping and roaring like a wild animal. She darted toward three, teeth bared and back arched. They fled, turning tail to escape the maddened Grimm.

Adam, seeing her success, repeated the same on another side, charging a collection of souls with his horns down and herding them away. Between the two of them, they managed to chase away a large portion of the lingering souls and continued to work on the others, acting like sheepdog herding a flock. Weiss crawled back to the lip of the crater and looked down.

The hole was slowly filling in. Not just from Ruby's rocks, but also from all the ash pouring down like sand in a bathtub. It drained down the central hole. People used sand to douse fires, sometimes even on buildings or forests. Ash probably didn't count, especially if it was flammable, but the sheer volume of it would snuff out any oxygen.

Assuming the fire even needed it. It fed on souls, so it was possible it didn't.

Thick smoke pooled and roiled overhead, casting the land in shadows – more so now because the fire was weaker and gave off less light. A crack opened up beneath them and Weiss and Nora fled back, getting out the way before it could open. Heat crept up like vents, speaking of more fire beneath, but even that was quelled as the very ground they stood on tumbled down, dashing flame and smothering the tunnels that fed to it.

Cinder had to know by now. There was no ignoring this. If the fires weren't gone by the time she woke up, they'd be in trouble. The air was cooler now – paradoxical given all the thermal energy being given off, but without the eldritch fire, the heat couldn't be sustained. If the smoke cleared, she'd have her sunlight returned to her. Until then, she could only rely on Ruby to do what had to be done.

And she did. Ruby was a blur of white swirling about the pit, eroding beneath rock faces to make the stone above tumble down and kicking up ash to pour into the gaps. Cinder's world turned dark and cold as the fires died. Weiss shivered at the sudden change.

"Is this is?" Nora asked. "Have we won!?"

"The fire is dying," Weiss said, "Assuming that's what's been weakening the boundary, this should have an effect on the Grimm outside. This isn't over for us, though. Your soul is still here, as are ours, and Cinder isn't the fire. It's just a tool to her. She's still here and we need to get out of her Domain alive." She frowned. "Somehow, I doubt she'll be willing to let us walk away freely."

"Do I… Do I need to kill her?" Nora asked. "Like how you and Jaune killed yours?"

"No. She can die however she has to. If she's made of molten lava or fire, it's not going to be safe for you to be near. You should get away while you have the chance."

"I can't. There could be Grimm in the Domains around this one."

It was a fair point and Weiss conceded it with a nod. They'd have to escort Nora back to Jaune and her Domain where she would be safe. That was assuming they all got out themselves. Cinder was still a Grimm on the level of Leviathan, and their greatest asset was helpless without sunlight to burn as energy.

The fire flickered and shrunk. The world turned darker still, their eyes unused to the low light. Cold wind rustled over her body and even Blake and Adam stopped chasing souls away to turn and watch. The last fire burned bright and fierce in the centre, a singular flame that flickered in the middle of what had minutes before been a roaring inferno.

It was defiant. Proud.

Fragile.

The last ember of a fire that did not want to die.

Weiss found her legs moving. With the heat gone, she could breathe and move once more, and she hurled herself over the lip and slid down the ash. Nora, Blake and Adam followed, the four of them joining Ruby, pushing rocks and boulders down themselves. Adam butted his head against them, Blake pushed with her shoulders and Weiss and Nora used their hands.

They tumbled and rolled in, crashing down onto the fire.

The first distorted it, the flames licking up the side in a new attempt to reach the sky. The second cut that off and the fire burned under like a kiln, little licking tendrils at the edges, until those too were sealed away. The red light faded. The flickering heat dwindled.

And with a sizzling hiss, the fire was snuffed out.

"It's done," she said. "I just hope it's enough."

/-/

The hunter's cleaver bit down into the shoulder of a lupine Grimm, forcing its bite to the side and preventing it tearing a chunk out of his body. He dragged it free in a shower of gristle and hacked in again, severing the arm. The monster fell with a snarl and kept trying to bite his feet. He moved on, swinging the cleaver like an axe to help another less fortunate.

The second Grimm fell, the hunter it had been facing wiping a hand over her forehead. "Thanks," she muttered, accepting the hand up and touching her side. "It caught me."

"Get back in Beacon and rest. We can handle it from here."

"Y-Yeah. Guess I ought to." The girl gasped and pushed him suddenly. "Look out!"

He fell hard and rolled back, instincts kicking in, telling him to lay on his back was to die. He got up in time to see a new Grimm having attacking from behind – now tearing toward the girl who saved his life. Unarmed and injured, she held her hands up defensively, a futile gesture against such a monster. He dashed forward, knowing it would be too late.

"No!"

The Grimm lunged and clawed at the woman's body. She closed her eyes, preparing for agony.

The monsters claws skittered against the concrete on the other side of her, spinning in apparent confusion. It paused suddenly and sniffed the air, then looked around as if it had lost sight of its prey. It snorted, snuffled the concrete and turned a slow three-sixty.

"I-I'm alive…?" The girl lowered her hands and looked down at them. No blood or dismemberment. "I'm alive," she said again, more clearly. "I… I'm alive."

"You're alive," the older hunter said, approaching with a curious frown. "It passed through you."

All around the Waterfront Boulevard, hunters had stopped mid-combat, lowering weapons and watching in awe and confusion as the Grimm lost all track of them. Monsters that had been trying to tear them apart mere moments ago acted like they were all but invisible now. One approached a hunter whose back touched a railing.

The beast walked through him, intangible.

As though they'd never Awakened in the first place.

"Is this… Are we back in the Dream?" someone asked. No one dared answer. No one dared hope.

The hunter's throat closed tightly and tears, something long forgotten, dripped down his cheeks. He reached out, toward the Grimm he'd been fighting. His hand passed through it and the monster walked away, fading into motes of light until it had disappeared entirely. The others followed, fading away, either disappearing from their world, or perhaps just from their sight. Perhaps they were still there, as they'd always been, but the hunters could no longer see them.

And that which you could not see, could not harm you.

No one knew who cheered first. No one knew who took it up, or even what they were saying. The only thing he knew was that he threw his cleaver out into the Quabbin Reservoir and howled his victory up at the moon.

/-/

Ozpin turned from the police station. A sense of something being different, or just wrong. He looked out over the city toward the Beacon, wondering what that thing might be. It took him a few seconds to realise.

The lighthouse was spectral again, glowing a pale green.

He stood, approaching the edge of the roof with wide eyes. They might have deceived him – he was more than old enough for it – but the lighthouse, even in its ghostly state, appeared paler than usual. Dimmer.

It shimmered in the distance, the light it cast to all Awakened for the last thirty years or more shining as a beacon to the lost and confused. Its light rotated once, twice, but not a third time. It grew more and more transparent and misty, until, without a bang or a whimper and just the passing of a seconds, the lighthouse disappeared entirely.

The city was bathed in its own light for the first time he could remember.

Ozpin's hands shook as he brought the walkie-talkie to his mouth. He realised he was crying when teardrops fell on his wrist, but he made no effort to wipe them away. His chest was shaking too, every breath coming out stuttered and weak. He didn't know if he wanted to laugh, cry or shout at the top of his lungs.

"All teams. Pull out. I repeat, retreat now."

" _Ozpin?"_ a voice called back. _"Is something wrong? Is the Beacon okay?"_

"Nothing is wrong. Everything… For once, everything is right."

He let out a long breath, feeling the weight of fifty years slip away at last. Faces flashed before his eyes. Those lost, those who had lost themselves and even those who ran away from it all. So many, and over so long a time. He had never thought it would end. Despite his words, deep inside, he had resigned himself to dying with his work unfinished.

He'd never imagined he might survive long enough to speak the words they'd all dreamed of hearing.

"The nightmare is finally over."

/-/

Pain.

It burned its way through his body like fire, curling around his fingers and arms. A loud ringing noise echoed in his head, and beyond that a siren or alarm. He felt weak and took a breath, only for it to come a shuddering and ragged gasp. He coughed a second later, expelling spit tinged pink with blood. Something crackled and snapped nearby. A loud crash boomed through the house as part of the ceiling collapsed.

Something moved under him. Jaune blinked eyes that saw nothing, blinking again and again until the hazy mist of colours became recognisable. A girl. Pyrrha. Her mouth was opening and closing yet he heard very little of it. The sounds all around overwhelmed her.

Instinctively, he reached out. There was precious little water nearby – even less now than there had been before. Some within Pyrrha and himself, but he didn't have the control to toy with that. The rest distant, even the water in the pipes mere dregs after Cinder cut off the supply.

Nowhere near enough to make a dent on the fire raging through the house.

"-aune! Jaune!" Pyrrha's voice came into focus. It was raw and agonised, and tears ran down her face. He looked her up and down for injuries. Apart from some scorch marks and bruises, she looked okay. He'd taken the brunt of the gas explosion.

What about Mrs Nikos? He wasn't sure if Cinder was dead or not – too much fire around to pick out her scent – but considering how close he was to the blast, it seemed likely. That might have been her plan. A quick suicide to bring her back to her Domain.

Jaune pushed off Pyrrha and instantly cried out. Something tugged and tore inside him, jostling in ways it shouldn't jostle. His hand shot down to his stomach and though it came back up without blood, he still knew something was wrong. The cramp he felt was too sharp and too powerful. Internal damage.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha's hands found his shoulders and drew him into a sitting position. "Oh my God, what –" she paused to hack, "-what happened? I-I remember dad. And he, there was a fire, in his hand. Did he _make_ that?"

"N-N…" The words died before he could get them out, descending into a coughing fit that wracked his lungs. Pyrrha shouldn't be thinking about impossible things like magical powers. That – That was a bad idea. "No," he mumbled. "A-Accident. Gas and fire…"

"But dad pointed his hand and-"

"Gas and fire," he spluttered, vision shaky. He tried to stand and collapsed to one knee.

"Christ, stop moving so quickly! You need an ambulance." Pyrrha looked around desperately but they were surrounded by smoke and ash. "A-And mom and dad. If we're okay, they'll be okay. We were all the same distance away."

Pyrrha helped him to his feet with a hand under his shoulder and another around his back. She wasn't calm, despite the air she put on and the immediate action. It was more that her panic drove her to act. To do something. It may well have saved his life as she practically carried him away from the burning building, out onto the front garden and then knelt him down.

Already, sirens were going off in the distance. Ozpin's actions, or the fire department responding to this? The fire alarm was ringing madly and it was impossible the neighbours hadn't seen or heard the explosion. The city would react, as it always did.

"I'm going back for mom and dad. You wait here."

He caught her wrist as she moved but lacked the strength to hold on. She pulled away and he fell forward, landing on hands and knees. With a single look back, she dashed toward the burning building once more.

Only to be met by someone coming out of it.

"Dad!"

Jaune's blood froze.

"Dad!" Pyrrha screamed, oblivious to the danger as she _crashed_ into the man's chest and wrapped her arms around his back. Finally faced with someone she could rely on, the wall crumbled and the tears flowed forth. "M-Mom," she sobbed. "Still inside. W-We have to get her out."

Alexander Nikos gripped his daughter's elbow. "No."

"B-But mom!" Pyrrha tried to pull away but his grip was too tight. "We can still save her! Dad, let go! Please!"

"Enough is enough," Cinder roared, hurling Pyrrha to the floor. The sheer rage and venom that dripped from her voice carried, and it must have told Pyrrha something was wrong because she didn't get up from where she fell.

"D-Dad…?"

"Never have I _despised_ an individual as much as I despise you, Jaune Arc." Cinder's eyes locked onto his, while her hand found Pyrrha's hair, holding her still. "You took from me my preferred body. You interfered with my dream. You _slew_ my mate and stole his body! And now this, to douse the fires that would have burned the boundary away." Her eyes burned with intense heat, as did her right hand, which became wreathed in flame. "I will stand for this no longer! Fires can be relit. They can be rekindled. I will use _your soul_ and those of your friends as fuel!"

There was no hiding it now. With a hand literally creating fire before her, Pyrrha's eyes grew wide. She looked up at her father – looked properly for the first time – and though he couldn't know for sure, he wouldn't have been surprised if she saw yellow eyes.

"D-Dad…?"

"Your father is gone," Cinder hissed. "How does it feel to lose a loved one? It's a pain we both know well now, all thanks to the man before you."

He stumbled up onto one knee. His hand slid behind his back and found cold metal.

"Jaune, but I… Dad…" Pyrrha's words were jumbled. "M-Mom. Cans still save-"

"Don't waste your time. That wench survived the blast, but tried to slow me down looking for you among the wreckage." Cinder snorted. "I killed her then and there."

"No. No, you're lying!" Angry tears down Pyrrha's face. "Dad, why are you doing this!?"

"Why, indeed. Ask your friend."

She looked to him, straight into the barrel of a gun. It wasn't aimed at her but higher, centre-mass on Cinder's stolen body. There was less than fifteen feet between them, which made it very unlikely she'd be able to dodge in time. His hands and arms wavered, damage and burns making the very act of holding the gun up difficult.

Yet, he didn't shoot.

"Do it," Cinder snarled. "Fire. Kill me and send me back to my Domain where I will wreak such havoc on your allies that their souls will scream for an eternity. Pull the trigger, Jaune. Do it!"

The gun wobbled.

Pyrrha sobbed. "Dad, please…"

"Pull it," Cinder said, lowering her flaming hand. Pyrrha gasped as it touched her shoulder, burning cloth and skin, "Or I will roast the flesh from her body, then kill you myself. I'll make it slow. Painful. Her body won't know death until there's naught but ash that remains."

Pyrrha, realising at least a little of what was going on, or consigning herself to the fact her father had gone mad, cried into her hands. Each sob broke him further. It was his fault, even if Cinder did everything. He was the one who befriended Pyrrha. He was the one who didn't push her away. He was the one who came here knowing his friends were busy in her Domain.

"Let her go, Cinder. You're finished."

"Finished, am I?"

A car screeched to a stop nearby. Doors opened and slammed shut. Police officers, one on his knees with a handgun aimed at him and the other using a car door as cover, arms resting over the top to balance the shot. Coming on a scene with the burning home of an officer, with said officer unarmed and stood by his frightened daughter, both staring down an armed assailant, they made the obvious deduction.

"Drop the gun!" one yelled. "Drop the gun!"

They couldn't see the fire, which Cinder had brought behind Pyrrha's head, a silent threat. Cinder smirked back at him, knowing that yet again she held all the cards. The officers were a good distance away – enough so that they couldn't hear Pyrrha's weak attempts to diffuse the situation, or the words Cinder said to him.

"You'll be arrested, Jaune. Your family will be contacted. I'll have them brought in for questioning. I don't need this body anymore, so once they're in my grasp I'll pay special attention to them, flaying the skin from their bodies one by one, breaking them until they've Awakened. Maybe I'll feed some of them to the Grimm. Maybe I'll just let them die slowly. Either way, I'll make sure they know who is to blame, and I'll let them _witness_ one another being killed."

Tears ran down his cheeks. His shoulders ached so badly and his body was on the verge of collapse. The officers were still screaming for him to drop the weapon, drowning out Pyrrha's voice. It was all one big shouting match, with Cinder the only calm one among them.

"It's what you deserve," she went on. "You've taken everything from me. My mate, my plans, my dreams." She sighed. "Everything will have to begin anew – and it will begin a new. A new fire, new souls. The boundary may have snapped back but it can be weakened again. Maybe fifty years, maybe a hundred, but I will tear it down and reduce this world to ash for what you have done. No one will survive. No one." Her eyes flickered. "But before that, I'll make sure no traces of the Arc name exist on this accursed world."

He knew what she wanted. Knew her plan. His body tensed.

"DROP! THE GUN!"

"I'll start with her," Cinder said, touching Pyrrha's neck. She immediately began to choke and gasp for air. "Such a shame that the fire burned her throat to the point she couldn't breathe. A slow and sad suffocation in the hands of her father. How tragic."

Pyrrha tried to pull away but lacked the strength. Her face turned pale, then blue. Her eyes were on his, tears streaming down her face as her feet pushed at the grass. In that moment, she understood. Not the details, not the specifics, but she knew what was happening. She knew she was going to die, and that it would be at the hands of her father. Her father who would go on to kill the entire Arc family.

Jaune closed his eyes. Took a deep breath.

 _Mom, Dad, everyone. I'm sorry._

He pulled the trigger.

The gun barked.

Cinder's head snapped back, blood and brain matter flying out.

Pyrrha fell, breathed in and screamed, "Don't shoot!" at the top of her lungs.

It was too late. Far too late.

Gunfire tore through him. His body staggered under the hail of it, bullets scything into his body and out again, some lodging within and others piercing through. It was brief. They fired enough to kill and then stopped, approaching quickly as his world spun. Pyrrha's desperate cries echoed in his ears as everything turned black.

 _Drip – Drip_

His body hit the floor, heavy and cold.

 _Drip – Drip_

Darkness crept in.

 _Drip – Drip_

His eyes closed.

 _Drip - Splash_

 **HIS EYES OPENED**

* * *

 **Rest in Peace, Jaune Arc.**

 **Last time I wrote anyone being shot by a police officer I got some comments saying how it's impossible, and the police would never do that and I had no idea what America was really like. I can understand that, especially since I've been to the US but hardly involved with the police there. That said, I feel confident saying it does happen, especially with what is seen on the news, and especially if the police are seeing you hold a gun to an "unarmed officer" at the same time that your police station is under attack.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 22** **nd** **September**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	50. Chapter 50

**I've realised I'm letting myself down on details lately – more so in other stories than this one. My creative description has been lacking, especially in yesterday's Relic chapter which, reading back on, I realise has** _ **so little description**_ **. I mean, I didn't describe the outfits, the venue, the food, the atmosphere or anything. I just left it 90% dialogue.**

 **Which is okay and I think some writers describe too much, but there's describing too little as well.**

 **I'll be trying to offer a bit more vivid imagery this chapter.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 50**

* * *

The ground rumbled louder than ever before. Weiss struggled for purchase and had to kneel, planting one hand down to steady herself. It was like some great serpent writhing in the earth's crust – and given what they knew, it might just be that.

"Ruby!" she yelled to the spectral figure still in the cold and fireless pit of ashes. "Get back."

The time Grimm fled in their direction, arriving at the same time Adam and Blake did. The four of them arrayed themselves in a line facing the pit as the tremors continued. The only one unaffected was Nora, who carried herself with unnatural balance. Expected given she had no body here, but that didn't mean she'd be useful.

"You should go. Get the other souls away."

Nora looked horrified. "Leave you?"

"You're less than useless here." Blake snapped. "That fire ran on human souls and you're a juicy one stood right at the edge. Don't undo everything we've just done. If you won't leave, I'll kill you myself."

Weiss shot her a warning look. As much as she'd sacrificed two strangers to bring Adam and Blake onto their side, she wouldn't countenance murdering Nora here. Luckily, Nora didn't look like she wanted to risk it; or maybe she realised the truth of the Grimm's words and didn't want to cause the fire to be relit. With a single nod and a whispered "good luck" she fled up the basin and over the lip, disappearing beyond.

Already, she could smell the fire raging to the surface. The _stench_ filled the air, overwhelming even the ash itself.

"What do we know about her?" Weiss asked.

"Nothing," Adam said. "Except that she'll be as powerful as Leviathan and that fire is her element. Don't let her spread it and don't let your guard down around any flames."

"She'll seek to turn the terrain to her advantage," Blake said. "We mustn't let her."

 _We could run._ The pervasive thought invaded her mind. It wouldn't be an end to Cinder, but it would delay her. Maybe enough to last a lifetime. They would be better prepared in the future, too. _But then again, so would she. Is it really worth it to die here, though?_

"There won't be any escaping," Ruby said, either reading her mind or hitting her thoughts by accident. "Too many souls nearby for her to take over. Even if the boundary becomes stronger, she'll be able to strike at any moment. It needs to end here. We need to kill her." Ruby's cloak shook as she rose into the air. "Jaune killed Leviathan. They can be killed."

That was true, and she'd killed the Lord of Sunlight, albeit with help. At least Cinder wouldn't be fighting _in_ her element if they didn't let it spread. Leviathan lived surrounded by water it could control. Her own had been in a sky bathed in never-ending sunlight. This couldn't be harder than what they'd achieved already.

Rock cracked and splintered beneath them. It was a deep and booming sound that echoed upward as ash and rock was _blown_ upward from the hole they'd quenched the fire within. Weiss dove to the side, narrowly missing a boulder that came crashing down. The opening in the ground had been cleared – including the hole at the base – and hot air poured out from it, suffocating and fetid.

The world shifted suddenly. It was the ground itself that tipped. Ash that had been flat and still poured inward and Weiss slipped onto her rear, kicking to keep herself in place but unable to fully stop herself sliding down. There was nothing to grab on to despite how she rolled onto her front and scrabbled. The ground was smooth rock beneath the layer of sifting ash.

Warm rock. Vibrating rock. On her front and looking back past Blake, Adam and Ruby who called out her name and watched her slip down, Weiss saw what they could not. The lips of the basin they were within, that the sacrificial fire was within, were slowly coming together. Closing. And as the ash poured down off it like waterfalls, the jagged teeth could just be made out.

"We're inside her!" she screamed. "She _is_ the Domain!"

Too late. The others looked back, finally noticing the light dimming, but they couldn't react in time, let alone climb the walls that had become almost vertical and still had ash pouring down. The basin – or the mouth – closed, and they all tumbled down, slipping and sliding to the edge of the inner pit where the fire had once been.

Weiss tried to hang onto that and found a lip of rock, or what felt like rock but was so obviously alive in some way. She grunted and began to pull herself up.

"Arghh!" Adam slid down on his side, hooves ineffective.

He struck her like a car. They were both sent off the edge. Adam landed first and Weiss on top of him, cushioning her fall. Blake came a moment later, managing to lane on all fours with an agile twist in the air. Ruby floated down, not quite as limited. The rocky surface in the pit itself was rougher, especially thanks to Ruby hewing and rotting bits of it away. The ash continued to pour down, but this time it fell in a waterfall to the side and slid down into the smaller hole at the base. They scrambled away from that, each able to feel the intense heat radiating from below. Falling into that would be death for sure.

The world lurched again, and Weiss gripped onto a nearby protrusion, pulling herself up and behind it as the floor became the wall and then the floor again. Cinder was moving about, shaking herself or dislodging all the ash that had accumulated over and buried her body.

"I thought Nora said she was a tentacle monster!" Ruby yelled. "This isn't a tentacle monster!"

"Tentacle monster underground. Volcanic rock monster the size of an island. Easily confused." Blake's voice dripped sarcasm. "We need to find a way out."

"You're welcome to try and pry that mouth open."

The whole Domain was Cinder. Or maybe that was inaccurate, but at the very least the central area was her. It made sense. Too much sense. Enough sense that Weiss cursed herself as a god-damned idiot. Why would some random fire burn souls to weaken the boundary? The only thing that ate souls in this world were the Grimm themselves. The fire wasn't just some random phenomenon. It was Cinder's body generating heat. The sacrifices were to feed her, and she'd found a way to convert that into a means of breaking through into their world. Leviathan had done the same – even appearing in the Quabbin Reservoir for a moment, before she lured the Lord of Sunlight into a fight with it and drew it back.

Blake, Adam and Ruby were arguing. She was afraid too but wracked her brain for a solution. If she died here, she might still have her human body, but Cinder would come through a new body and kill her. Did they go deeper and try to kill her from the inside out? That worked in movies but doing that on a _fire monster_ didn't strike her as a good idea. The heat generated deep inside her body would no doubt be far hotter than what they were experiencing already.

And that was when something slithered up out the hole in the centre, out of what might have been her throat.

"Guys!"

It was long and thin, and looked both organic and not, moving freely despite what appeared to be a rocky texture with molten lines of red leading up and down it. It had no eyes and that was apparent both from looking at it and how it felt around blindly. The others were still arguing.

"Guys!" she said, louder. "I think we need to start moving."

"Moving?" Blake demanded. "Where!?"

Weiss pointed. "Anywhere that's away from that!"

They followed her finger and backed up, Blake with a furious hiss. She pawed at the ground but didn't try to attack it, no doubt afraid the moment she sunk her teeth in it would draw her in. It was some kind of internal system for swallowing prey – necessary because Cinder didn't seem to have a tongue or any kind of saliva or muscles. Her body was mostly made of volcanic rock.

Wait. That was it.

"The vents!" Weiss stood suddenly, looking around. "Remember the vents we saw on the way here, the ones spewing out ash and smoke. Those must have been coming from her. She eats the souls, takes the energy and expels the waste. That means there has to be other ways out of here – openings in her crust she uses for ventilation."

"Our way out," Adam said. "Assuming we can reach them without being burned to a crisp ourselves. There's no telling those will be accessible from here without crossing through whatever passes for a stomach around here."

And that would incinerate them. It was a long shot, but one she knew they didn't have much choice taking. "We can't go down, but we can use those tunnels. They have to lead somewhere, and it might be to other ways out."

Or they might not, she didn't say.

"It's a chance I'll take," Blake said, already moving. The feline watched the tentacle nervously. A second had come up and begun its probing, working in a slow circle from the epicentre out. It would reach them in a minute or two. There really was no time to think.

Some of the tunnels had been sealed by Ruby but one nearby was still open. Barely. Reaching it first, Blake used her powerful forelegs to scratch the rock away and shimmied through. Once on the inside, she pushed her hind legs against the biggest boulder and heaved. It rolled out, creating a gap big enough for them to pass through. It also rolled down, onto the hole in the centre of Cinder's `mouth` and crushing the tentacles there as it did.

" **Raaaarrrrrrrr!"**

Everything trembled as Cinder screamed. The inside of the mouth shifted again, rocking wildly from side to side and tossing them into the air. Weiss tripped and fell back, sprawling on her back and tipping over, rolling down toward the now thrashing tentacles. She reached out and snatched Ruby's cloak, gasping as a _horrible_ sensation ran through her, like ice cold needles digging into skin that was turned in an instant to parchment.

Her foot touched something hot.

It wrapped around her leg instantly, coiling from ankle to knee. "Argh! H-Help! Help me!"

Blake was there, all teeth and claws as she tore at the tentacle, ripping and shredding with powerful wrenches of her snout. The other came in, determined to wrap around its prey. With the hole clogged, it thankfully couldn't drag her down, but Weiss felt her skin blister already. If they wrapped all around her, she'd burn to death.

They wrapped about Ruby instead, the spectre blocking its path. The tentacle passed through, slowly visibly as it did. Its crust flaked and turned to dust. The inside – something squishier and red like lava – blistered and popped. The thing recoiled back while still inside her but couldn't get out in time. It flopped and died, shrivelling up and flaking away.

The agony had Cinder roaring again and caused the one around Weiss' leg to slacken somewhat. Kicking it away, she whimpered and gripped onto Blake's neck, letting the Grimm haul her back up to the tunnel. They collapsed inside, holding onto rock for dear life as Cinder tossed her huge body from side to side, rattling them like coins within a tin can.

"Are you okay?" Adam asked.

Weiss shook her head, tears running down her cheeks. She peeled her sweatpants up, crying out as the material _stuck_ to her skin, pulling off a strip of it. _It's not real,_ she told herself. _This isn't my real body. I'm not really feeling this, and my body is safe in bed._ But she was feeling it. There was no denying that. The damage had been done to her soul, which was just as real as any flesh and muscle.

"Weiss won't be talking," Blake said. "Adam, you'll need to carry her."

The Grimm grunted and knelt, allowing Blake to grip Weiss by the back of the collar like a newborn cub and drag her up onto her lover's back. "Hold onto my horns," Adam said. "I don't have hands to catch you if you fall."

Hers were okay. It was just her leg that she couldn't move. Hooking that over his back, she leaned forward and held onto a horn in each hand, resting her chin on his spine so she could look ahead and see what he saw. "I-I'm okay. Or not okay, but you get the idea."

"We have to move," Ruby said. Behind her, the rock blocking Cinder's mouth flew up – expelled by a great gout of pressurised steam that had built below it. It was followed by four more tentacles that came out far more aggressive, thrashing about.

It was all the warning Adam needed to trot forward, Blake and Ruby alongside. With the tunnel rolling and shaking with every step, they made their way onward. Hot air rushed to meet them, and light filtered in from somewhere. She didn't dare hope it was an exit. Cinder's body gave off its own heat, and probably its own light as well. Still, the fact there was air at all was a good sign.

"Her skin must be like a crust," Weiss said, shouting to be heard over the cracking rock and distant roars. "Think of her like a mountain. The heat and fire – the digestive systems and all that – are in the core. There might be more than one mouth, too. We just fell into one of them. If she's a walking, living landmass, then we're still close to the surface. We'll be okay so long as we don't go deeper."

It was a lot of assumptions to make, especially without _seeing_ Cinder properly, but the constant crack of rock all around them lent credence to the theory, not to mention the fact they were running along rock as it was. She doubted Cinder _was_ a rock Grimm, but you Leviathan hadn't been made of water either. They were animalistic in shape and size, just designed to live within their chosen Domain.

If Leviathan was a sea serpent for the ocean, then Cinder was something that could survive volcanic temperatures and constant ash and fire. There weren't many animals that fit, but if someone was to try and design one, it would probably be covered in the same volcanic rock as a volcano. Or a dragon, but the slow movement and the tunnels suggested otherwise.

"I feel wind!" Blake said. " _Cold wind._ Or colder than this!"

Weiss raised her head and felt it too. It was still hot, but not smouldering. Assuming the hotter temperatures closer to the core and the colder without, it could mean only one thing. A way out.

It proved true. They came upon a crossroads of sorts – the tunnels continuing on ahead, but also splitting left and right. To the right, hot air billowed their way in thick clouds of grey mist, expelled the opposite. Adam turned that way without having to be told. The smog was chokingly thick. Weiss held her breath and coughed into Adam's fur. She closed her eyes and held on tight. To let go was to be left behind now. They couldn't stop in the noxious fumes.

And then they were out. Fresh air – blisteringly hot but still fresh – washed over them and Weiss opened her eyes, gasping. The thick black clouds of the outside world greeted them, along with shiny black rock underfoot, forming something of a pathway, like a cliff or natural path on a mountainside.

" **Raaaaarrrrrrr!"**

Weiss pushed her head and shoulders up and turned to look at the monster they'd unleashed. It was impossible to get a full sense of size or shape from their position on her. They could have been anywhere, but assuming the mouth had been Cinder's face, she assumed they were on the head, neck or shoulder blades. As it was, the only thing she could tell was that Cinder was gargantuan, covered in rock that made up most of her body, and had a head with a long snout. They were lower than that, so details were hard to make out.

Below, she could see huge arms with claws on the end that slammed down into the ground, disrupting ash and dragging her giant weight along. She was a quadruped, or so Weiss assumed. She couldn't see hind legs from where they were, and Cinder could have easily had the rear end of a slug or fish for all she knew. Assuming she had four, however, the closest animal that came to mind was a tortoise. One of those vicious snapping ones that could move with startling speed, scaled up ten thousand times and with a carapace of volcanic rock instead of a shell.

Cinder was moving inexorably onward. There was no attempt made to find them, even though she must have known they were still alive. _Not like she could feel us. We're like mosquitoes to her._ She also doubted solid rock had much in the way of nerve endings.

"How are we supposed to fight that!?" Blake hissed. Her ears pinned flat atop her head and her shoulders hunched down like she wanted nothing more than to cover her eyes with her paws. "What are Adam and I supposed to do? Piss in her eye and hope for an allergic reaction? We're useless here!"

They all were. _Even if I could transform, my size is a tenth of hers at best – and what can I do, bathe her with sunlight? She's a Grimm of fire with rock for skin. I doubt sunburn is going to stop her._ Brute force was out the picture as well. There was no simply no way she had the mass to move this mountain of a creature.

"What is she doing?" Weiss wondered aloud. "Where is she going?"

"Probably to find Nora and the other souls," Ruby said. "She'll want to start the fire again, and for that she needs sacrifices."

"Does she not even care that we're here?"

"Would you? Look at her. We're like insects."

They'd have to make her care if she didn't. It was all they could do to stop her relighting the fire and throwing every soul here into it. Weiss pointed between Adam's horns. "Make for the head."

The bull tossed his own. "Are you mad, girl?"

"The only way we're beating this is either from within or through some weak point. We can't handle the temperatures inside, and if she's going to have a weakness it's going to be in her head." The rest of her was a mountain with legs, so nothing else stood out. "The eyes, nose or ears. There has to be something we can use."

"Assuming she doesn't roll over and crush us!"

"We're dead anyway if that's the case. Move!"

/-/

His eyes opened.

The ocean greeted him, warm and comforting, soothing away the ghostly pain of metal entering and exiting his body. The deeps called to him and every inch of it stretching into the distance was his Domain. He saw out into it and stared, forlorn.

For the first time, the giant yellow eyes were the only eyes he saw from. That connection to another world that had been tangible in the back of his mind was gone. There would be no waking up in another body, another world, surrounded by people he knew and loved. Those things were gone, lifeless in the grass among a pool of spreading blood and a burning home. Jaune Arc was no more. Only Leviathan remained.

A grief filled bellow filled the ocean, emanating from a cavernous mouth ringed with teeth. Even the humanlike form within this world was lost. As the human within their own could not turn into a beast, no longer could the beast in this turn human.

The great beast sank to the bottom of the ocean and crashed into the silt, spraying up clouds of dust.

 _Drip – Drip_

Something stirred in the distance. Ancient, terrible and so pungent it reached him even deep below the ocean. The scent tickled his nostrils, bringing with it a familiarity that burned its way down his throat. Fire and ash.

His eyes opened.

And the ocean bubbled and writhed.

/-/

Cinder's carapace was riddled with pathways and cliff faces that seemed almost designed for them to walk along, but were more likely the result of centuries or even millennia of erosion. Like walking through the grand canyon, sheer rock walls flanked on either side, giving way occasionally to steep drops down into dark chasms, some of which oozed steam and noxious smoke. Vents dotted her hide, expelling great gouts of hot air and gas from within her furnace of a body.

And still, they continued on, picking their way among the rubble and making their way toward the giant triangular-shaped head in the distance, that they could only just see the chin of. Wisps of smoke and fire emanated from either side, warning that Cinder's breath might literally be fire.

 _If the clouds clear I might be able to do something. At least transport us away from her._ Cinder was making her way away from where she'd once laid, so there was a chance she'd keep moving and find sunlight. _And just as much a chance the smoke she creates will block it out._

Not even Ruby could help them here. The Grimm had taken to interacting with Cinder's skin but it didn't age like a normal creature's would. Rock eroded away or chipped but it was just that and hundreds of metres thick in places.

Cinder stopped suddenly and the cracking stop her rock plates came to jarred the landscape around them, sending great boulders tumbling down. The huge head rose, the sounds stopping for a moment as she stared into the distance.

"Has she found Nora and the others?" Ruby asked in a whisper.

"She's sensed something," Blake said. "I don't smell anything. Too much smoke."

It clogged Weiss' senses too, but not Cinder's. The beast roared its displeasure and lumbered forward, off toward the east – the very direction they'd come from. Her mighty tread shook the ground and her loping gat, more akin to short hops than a run, tossed them all from their feet. Weiss slipped from Adam's back and gripped onto a rock jutting up from the ground. Cinder was moving quickly now, covering great tracts of land with each lunge.

"What is she chasing!?" Weiss yelled.

"Nothing! We're charging to the edge of her Domain!"

The edge…? Weiss looked up and squinted her eyes against the whistling wind. There, in the distance, she could just make out the rising banks of ash that had collected on the edge, forming mountains of sand that rose up to mark the border of Cinder's Domain like a perimeter wall. Beyond it, the faintest traces of sunlight glinted through, filling her with strength as they came closer and closer. Not enough to challenge Cinder perhaps, but enough to get the others to safety.

But why? Why would Cinder take them from her Domain? Was she pursuing something?

Ruby began to laugh. The bell-like sound reached her ears even over the cracking of rock and explosions caused by every step of Cinder's giant feet. The spectral Grimm had one hand held out and her head tossed back. Her cloak-like body twisted in the air as hilarity shook her. Or perhaps hysteria.

"What's so funny?" Blake demanded.

"She isn't chasing something," Ruby said. "She's fleeing. She's running away – trying to hide."

"Running from what? Hiding from what?"

Ruby turned to her. "Can't you feel it?"

Weiss was about to ask what she was supposed to be feeling when something caught in her mouth. The splash of moisture surprised her and she licked her lips instinctively, cringing when the sudden tang of saltwater assaulted her. Another droplet struck her cheek below her eye, and then another her forehead and several more.

It was raining. Raining saltwater.

" **Raaaarrrrrr!"** Cinder roared.

" **Uwooooooooooorrrrr!"**

A sound not unlike a thousand foghorns sounding at once echoed her, and Cinder's bulk stilled, turning with cracking rock to look back over her shoulder, over their heads as well and to the west. The sound… it resonated within her. It sounded… sad. Forlorn.

Furious.

"He's here!" Ruby laughed. "He's come! Finally, Yang. This is for you!"

The water splattering against her face became harsher, pinning her and the others to Cinder's body. Below, it collected on the ground and rose up, a current pulling it away from Cinder, around her feet and across her Domain until all the land was buried under several metres of rushing water, all of it moving swiftly around the monster within. Cinder stomped her feet down and steadied herself, lowering her head and roaring off into the distance.

The answering roar came not from the throat of some giant beast, but instead from the thousands of tonnes of water that approached. A tidal wave that appeared in the distance and tore its way across the land toward them.

"Hold on tight!" Blake screamed.

It struck like its namesake. The majority of it was taken by Cinder's body but even the scant amount that hit them drove the air from Weiss' lungs. Great sizzling gouts of steam rose from the rock around them, hot clashing with cold and burning the air. Some of the rock hardened and cooled, cracking under the sudden change in pressure. Cinder ducked her head and rose up, tossing the water aside and pushing her way through the wave, letting it crash down behind her.

The damage had been done. The great wall around her Domain had been broken down and water rushed in, filling what she quickly realised had become one giant basin. The other sides of it kept the water in and allowed it to grow, becoming an artificial lake.

A high-pitched screech sounded his arrival. A giant writhing shadow within the wave that pounded down into the arena. Eyes that pierced through, yellow and bright like spotlights beaming over Cinder's carapace. The monster rose up out the water, coiling like a silver cobra dripping water down its titanic scales, each the size of a commercial fishing vessel. A huge maw opened and rows upon rows of backward facing teeth greeted them, a vicious grater of a mouth with a deep cavernous opening at the back from which there could be no escape.

Cinder bellowed out a roar filled with anger and grief, grief for a fallen lover, for a mate turned against her. Leviathan boomed its reply, the sheer anger and rage whipping the water into a frenzy. A challenge given that all knew would not end without one laying dead.

Leviathan surged forward.

* * *

 **It's a Kaiju battle!**

 **I mean, not really inspired by Godzilla or anything, but when you write a story with big monsters it only ever ends one of two ways. The big monster battle or the Lovecraft ending where everyone goes insane. This story is** _ **inspired**_ **by Lovecraft, but isn't meant as a Lovecraftian story, so I won't be going that way.**

 **Cinder was hard to describe, as expected. I wanted to avoid just calling her a living volcano with legs and a head – but that kind of fits. Just think a tortoise without a shell, but whose body is a volcano with loads of little vents all over the body instead of one spire. All black with rivers of ash raining down off her.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 29** **th** **September**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	51. Chapter 51

**Wow. This week continues to be a bitch. I woke up this morning still sickly, but worse – when I went into the living room I found that my laptop (which is a rather expensive model) had become a litter tray for my parent's cat. Despite, you know, having a litter tray fresh and clean for her. She had specifically chosen to go to my laptop, charging in a corner, and piss on it. As you might expect, the laptop is fucked.**

 **Seriously. This week…**

 **On the brighter side, I felt well enough to write a proper chapter.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 51**

* * *

Leviathan crashed into Cinder, pushing the giant beast back and causing it to teeter to one side. It found its balance, spreading its four limbs in the water, causing huge waves to rear up as it buckled to the left. Its head snapped forth with alarming speed, jaw open and reaching for what might have been Leviathan's neck. Jagged teeth twice as tall as Weiss bit down, puncturing through silver scales less like a knife through butter and more an industrial piston through plate steel. The keening sound followed by a puncturing _crack_ echoed in her ears.

Blood, thick and reddish-purple seeped forth and across the scales, running down Leviathan's body as it roared in pain and coiled itself around Cinder, looping its giant body twice about her and rearing up like a snake.

Cinder and Leviathan locked eyes – her maw buried in his neck and his own mouth open, exposing rows on rows of inward facing teeth ready to come down on her head. The threat went unheeded – or perhaps ignored in a resigned manner. Cinder tore her head from side to side and tried to tear chunks out of Leviathan's flesh.

In return, he angled his head and bit clamped down over Cinder's, jaw on both sides of her head crushing down. Rock cracked and fell to splash into the water below as his mighty jaws crunched through her thick armour. His coils tightened and constricted, making the carapace around them crack and crunch. Dust rained down and sprays of hot air and molten lava gushed out like blood from a hundred wounds.

"He's going to kill us as well as her," Blake said. "He should be able to smell us!"

"Does he look like he's in the mood to pay attention?" Jaune's entire body bucked and writhed, his long and sinuous form twisting left and right as he tried to wrench Cinder's head off her body like a crocodile trying to pull a death roll. He was so focused he wouldn't notice them. "Ruby, you can fly. Get up there and catch his attention. Tell him if he clears the clouds, I can get everyone off and come back to help him."

"On it!" Ruby floated up and away.

"We should find a flat piece of ground," Blake said. "If you're going to take off, we might as well make it easier on all of us." The feline Grimm flinched as more boulders fell from above, where a portion of Jaune's body was wrapped around Cinder. "And somewhere where he's less likely to kill us on accident."

"That's not a bad idea. Adam, I'll need you to keep carrying me…"

"Tch. Hold on tight."

/-/

Rage.

Grief.

It was a heady mixture that only grew stronger as Cinder's teeth dug down into his scales. The pain was real – was his and not something happening to a body not his own. He screamed into her rocky skin, the sound coming out more a high-pitched screech. His teeth crunched through another layer of rock. His gums ached, both from the sharp stones and the fire he could feel surging up through his teeth. Her blood was lava.

His fury burned hotter.

Kill. He had to kill her. End her. Rip her to shreds!

For his family. For Yang. For Ozpin. For the whole fucking human race, but more than any of that – for himself! To avenge himself of everything he'd lost and make sure she knew she'd tangled with the _wrong fucking person_.

She'd picked on a coward. The bullied. The one who didn't dare fight back, throwing Leviathan at him with the surety that he'd curl up and be consumed like the pussy he was.

Well fuck you!

Fuck all of them!

He lived. He'd survived it all. That was why you didn't corner a frightened rat – because it turned into a savage monster. He pushed back Leviathan. Killed it. He pushed back the Grimm. Killed them. Survived. Endured. Put up with all the shit of the nightmares, the horror and the distance from his family. He'd survived it all because he had to.

Until now.

Until Cinder killed him.

And now she had to die.

Quite reasonable, really. She killed his real body so he would kill hers. Tear it to shreds. Dash it asunder. Watch the life fade from her eyes and see that flicker of fear before it dimmed. Erase her so thoroughly that no one would ever remember she existed. That even the plants her body became food for would wither and die and fade into nothingness.

Blood poured down his neck, inside and out, as Cinder squeezed her jaws tight.

The agony helped. It focused him. He coiled his entire body tight around her and tensed every muscle at once. The satisfying feeling of rock giving way beckoned a gust of hot air against his scales. Fire washed off him, searing and burning his blood but doing little against his massive bulk.

" **Fire,"** he hissed against her skin, the words garbled as he tore at her but also whispered directly into her ears. **"How original. How do you feel about water?"**

The lake slowly building around them whipped up suddenly, great waves forming and smashing into her sides with force enough to send her toppling. Cinder fell with an almighty crash, kicking up an explosion of water. He rode her down, howling victoriously into her head as he twisted and writhed like an eel, cracking through rock and driving water into her eyes and mouth.

Suffocating her would be fun, wouldn't it? Almost an ironic death – especially with it being her mate's water that did it. He drew on the water around him, rearing it up into a giant tidal wave that would engulf and swallow her body.

"Jaune, stop!"

A speck of silvery grey floated before his eyes. A mere mosquito to his size, and yet she filled his vision and he knew her.

" **Ruby?"** he garbled.

"Weiss, Blake and Adam are on her body!" Ruby said, desperate to get her message out before he sent the tidal wave crashing down. "You're going to kill them."

The tidal wave faltered. He'd forgotten all about them. His anger had been so great he'd cared for nothing more than killing Cinder. Even now she was finding her footing and rising up and he wanted so badly to smash her down again.

It would be fine, right? If the others fell into the water he'd know where they were and could sweep them to safety. Except that it wasn't a given. If they entered the water then he couldn't use it as a weapon for fear of them being swept up and smashed against Cinder's body. Killed instantly. And if his control was anything less than perfect, they might be swept close to Cinder where she would crush them or even heat the water and boil them alive.

 _I can't concentrate on both keeping them safe and killing her._

But he couldn't let Cinder escape. Not this time.

"Weiss says if you clear the clouds above she can fly us away," Ruby said. "Then you can do whatever you like to Cinder – as long as she dies. She created the fire. She's the one burning the boundary down. Kill her and it'll fix itself."

Now she was speaking his language. He blinked twice to show he understood and slowly uncoiled himself from Cinder's body, letting her rise up. She was less inclined to let go of him and tossed her head from side to side, shaking him like a piece of string. Except string thousands of tonnes in mass, which crashed and splashed down into the water, throwing up great columns.

He forced more water into her mouth. Flooding it. Rushing into her. His control faltered once it was in her body – he couldn't rip it out from the inside – but he pushed so much in that her fires were doused and she couldn't breathe. Her movements became erratic and finally deciding she couldn't stand anymore, she let go, tossing him hundreds of metres away.

The water was only just deep enough to fully submerge him. He lay in it, waiting for a moment as his wounds were washed clean. The water being his Domain, he began to heal. Meanwhile, Cinder started moving – either to a chosen destination or just to escape the water she knew he would have the advantage in. Her great bulk made it slow, however, and she had to wade her way through water reaching up to her stomach.

It would take her time to escape. Time enough to think.

A tropical storm like he'd used against the Lord of Sunlight wouldn't work. It would add to the cloud cover, not take away. The smoke came from her ash and fire, which wasn't burning now, so it should dissipate on its own. No idea how long that would take, though, and while he could shadow and follow Cinder, flooding the terrain the entire way, his water was limited and there was no telling if Cinder couldn't dig underground and escape.

Maybe the better bet was getting Weiss and the others off and transporting them to sunlight.

So long as Cinder didn't escape in his absence.

 _At least Nora and the souls will be safe. They don't need to breathe._

With rationale returning he hunkered down and followed Cinder, swimming through the water off to the side with a bright eye fixed on her at all times. The anger still burned but beneath the surface – ready to come roaring out when he let it. He raked his eyes over her body instead, looking for the small specks of colour that would highlight his friends. Blake and Adam would be impossible to see, black on blackish-brown, but Weiss' white outfit would stand out. He had to keep Cinder from noticing.

/-/

"He's stopped," Blake said, shaking water from her fur. She was completely soaked. "Ruby must have talked some sense into him. Not a moment too soon. If that wave hit, we'd be smears of red right about now."

Weiss nodded, unable to say anything as she shivered against Adam's back, her dress wet and sticking to her body. It had been close when Cinder fell on her side. Her entire body had moved, rock grating against rock as the floor became the wall and vice-versa. They could have died in any number of ways and it was luck alone that didn't have them thrown into the water.

Jaune was holding off for now. The giant bulk of Leviathan was visible in the water off to the left – the very surf itself contorting around him as small peaks of his skin cut through the waves like some horrifying shark flanking and following a vessel. He was obviously waiting for them to get to safety, but she wasn't sure how. Without her wings, she couldn't get them off.

" **Cinder."** Jaune's voice sounded like two heavy stones being cracked together. It echoed and boomed, coming out distorted and murky thanks to the water it passed through. **"How does it feel to be hunted? To be in our shoes?"**

Cinder roared a wordless response full of rage.

" **You brought this upon yourself. You chose to come into our world. You chose to force Leviathan upon me."** A booming, repetitive sound echoed out. A sound Weiss realised was laughter. **"And now he is dead. Now, his body hunts yours. How does it feel, Cinder? To be hunted and killed by someone inhabiting the body of a person you love? Ironic, isn't it? That you will die as so many others have."**

The world under them jerked as Cinder turned and lashed out in his direction, slamming a massive paw down into the water. Leviathan was nowhere to be seen, however, swimming back out of reach, though his laughter still boomed over them.

"Why is he taunting her?" Weiss asked, holding on Adam tried to find purchase.

"He must be doing it for a reason." Blake said. "Maybe to keep Cinder from noticing us. Or he could just be trying to hurt her. Who knows? He's not using water, though. He knows we're here."

"Are the clouds clearing?" Adam asked.

Weiss looked up. "Slowly. With the fire gone, the smoke is dissipating."

"How soon until you can transform?"

"I don't know. I'll do so when I can."

" **This is justice,"** Jaune boomed. **"Your justice."**

Cinder's body shook, and then her voice came – as old and rocky as the earth itself, like gravel scraping or an avalanche of rocks. It wasn't feminine in the slightest, nor was it masculine. It simply was.

" **Yours will be a slow and agonising death, Jaune. I shall burn your body away and use your soul to tear down the boundary. I will invade your home and bring ruin upon it and everyone in it. None shall escape my fire."**

" **You would need to escape my water first, Cinder, and you are within** _ **my**_ **Domain now."**

" **This Domain is not yours! It does not belong to you!"**

" **Nor did the bodies of Rebecca Farleigh or Alexander Nikos. It did not stop you using them to destroy lives. It's poetic justice that I do the same to you."**

The resulting roar from Cinder had Weiss pushing her face down into Adam's back. The giant tortoise-like body moved, hunching and lurching suddenly as it jumped after Leviathan. Blake and Adam pinned themselves low, holding on as wind rushed by them. The sudden lurch of their fall had Weiss holding on for dear life – before they crashed back down into the water, casting up so much that it fell on the three of them like rain.

Adam moved once it was done. He rushed forward with Blake, scaling the gentle incline of rock in front of them – Cinder's shoulder – before it could move and become a sheer cliff. Halfway up, it started to do so. Adam grunted and pushed harder, covering the last twenty metres while it was at a forty-dive degree angle. He hooked his hooves over the top and scrabbled up, aided by Blake, who pushed from behind.

"Onto her back," Blake said, scrabbling up after. "It's the safest place for us."

And the place with the most space for her to transform. Atop Cinder's shoulder, the volcanic structure rose up – and while that was all but unassailable, there was flattish land around it. Rocky and uneven, but clear on either side and with space to move. Adam and Blake moved onto that, picking their way on rocks that must have burned their feet. Weiss was glad again for being carried by Adam.

"This is the best area we can hope for," Blake said. "Weiss, how close are you?"

"I can feel the sunlight." Fortune favoured them as Cinder's attacks brought the side with them on toward the sun. She didn't know if that was Jaune's intent or not. She drew a deep breath and felt fresh energy rush through her. The clouds were still there but were slowly fading. Only the smallest amount of sunlight came through, but it was a thousand times more than what she'd had before. "Put me down," she said. "I can stand."

Adam knelt and let her slide off. She kept an arm on him for balance but found herself able to stand on her own. Once she was sure of herself, she stepped away, stumbling a little on the rough ground but able to stop herself falling over. It was made more difficult by Cinder's movement, which wasn't at all even. Her back would sway from left to right as she waded through the water.

Blake cleared her throat. "Not to rush you…"

"I know. We're on the clock. This isn't easy to do with so little sunlight." She was going to be all but useless in the fight, resigned only to keep Blake and Adam out of it. That would have to be enough. Jaune had his Domain. He'd be okay.

Weiss took a deep breath and let it go. The process of changing was nothing like Hollywood werewolf stories made it sound. This was the Grimm world, and here she was a Grimm. That was it. The human form was due to her human soul, which didn't exist but still held power as a separate and tangible part of herself. As such, the change was less a transformation and more her _assuming_ her true form. It was with a flicker of sunlight that she simply _was_ a giant birdlike creature. No interim and no expanding of muscles of arms. One second she was Weiss, and the next she was the Lord of Sunlight.

Warbling slightly, she dipped her head, spreading her wings out flat on Cinder's back, both to let Adam and Blake climb on, but also to provide more wingspan with which to gather sunlight. Her multicoloured leaves bristled and turned toward the sun like flowers, absorbing light and shining brightly. Blake nestled herself behind her neck, digging into her feathers with Adam beside her.

With a mighty flap of her wings, Weiss rose up.

/-/

Jaune watched as Weiss rose off Cinder's back, great wings flapping. Cinder noticed it and turned her head, snapping back over her own body. Weiss was too agile to keep hold of, however, and darted back behind the volcano raising up over Cinder's peak. Her mouth opened and a stream of fire poured out, basking her own body without harm and keeping Weiss pinned behind, unable to take off fully.

So long as she was looking backwards, that was.

Water rippled as he surged in. He targeted her legs, sweeping low underwater and crashing into her. Cinder roared at the impact and lurched to the side. He pushed harder, using his power to force himself onward and also sending more and more water crashing into her side, all applying pressure and working to topple her back.

Cinder's other legs spread out for balance. He didn't stop. He pushed and pushed, coiling his entire body under her like a spring. Her face came back, jaw pushing down into the water and letting out a hiss of superheated bubbles, boiling the ocean around him until it was steaming and evaporating. Not at a fast enough rate to bother the ocean's worth he poured into it, but enough to burn his scales and crack them.

Her closest feet were lifted up off the floor. He saw it nearby and pushed even harder, bunching up fully against her and heaving with all his might. With an angry screech, those two legs rose higher, Cinder's entire body tipping onto its side faster and faster, until she reached the point of no return and was hauled onto her back, splashing down into the water.

He broke the surface and caught sight of Weiss' wings taking the others to safety. It was all he got before a concentrated beam of fire erupted from the water, nearly taking his head off and burning several of his scales black.

" **JAUNE!"**

She burst from the water with more speed than her size suggested – jaws open and aimed for his neck again. He coiled it back to dodge, sent a wave crashing at her from the side and diverted her. When she crashed down to the side, he lunged, throwing all his weight onto her, biting down on the side of her face and driving her head beneath the waves.

When more fire tore from her mouth it hit his tail, searing through and forcing him to let go as he shrieked. The fire raced through his body – and had he been capable of tears, he'd have been sobbing.

Teeth clamped down on his wounded tail and made him scream all the louder. He was dragged down into the water and then out again, flung high up into the air and released. His body reached its arc and gravity took holding, bringing him down onto a mouth that wasn't big enough to swallow hm, but which was more than hot enough to roast him alive. The fire built as she prepared to let loose an attack.

" **Skreeeee!"** Weiss' talons struck Cinder's head from the side. One gouged deep into an eye that exploded with gore – and the pain was enough to push the head aside. Fire burst down into the water, boiling it but not him.

Jaune crashed down on top of her a moment later. His scales and sheer bulk cracked rock across her back and sent boulders down into the water. He draped over her, stunned for a moment and unable to move without some water to support him. Fortunately, he was able to bring some up in time and wash himself off while Weiss broke free and wheeled up and away, chased by a stream of fire.

She was too resilient. Slow and ponderous, and not too fast with her flame attacks, but difficult to crack into. The rock she had felt more like armour than skin. Maybe it solidified over thousands of years of her laying sedentary. One thing was for sure, the damage he was doing wasn't bringing her down anytime soon.

 _She's a monster of fire – there has to be a weakness to that. If I get water inside, would that kill her? Does she live on fire?_ There was no fire with her entire Domain becoming a lake, but there was fire inside her body sustaining her. It was so deep he couldn't get anywhere near it.

The armour had to go.

Jaune swam in and lunged up out the water. Instead of wrapping around her, he slammed into her side and fell back in, wheeled around and charged again from a different angle. He struck hard and fast, retreating before Cinder could react and bring her head around to bite him. She fired off the jet of flame whenever she could, scorching his scales when it hit, but he rammed her again and again, driving her back.

His teeth could only concentrate force. His body was the same, squeezing highly specific areas. He was a monster several thousand tonnes on weight, however. He had mass. He swam in and rammed her over and over, until even he began to feel dizzy and Cinder was struggling to stand after being knocked down for the sixth time.

" **Coward!"** she roared. **"Face me!"**

His gut burned with the need to answer. To mock, taunt and make her as angry as he felt. He clamped down on it and slammed into her side again, causing a loud crunch to echo and huge boulders to rain down. He left spiderweb cracks along the rock, which was already so much weaker than it had been when they started.

Like a battering ram, he would bring her down one bit at a time.

His water seeped into the cracks. When he hit, the vibrations caused that to expand and shake, breaking them further open. As if to help, he saw Ruby rushing between the cracks, phasing in and out of the shell as deeply as she dared go into the fire, eroding and ageing the rock, forcing hundreds of years of water erosion into the space of a few seconds – only for that same rock to then be struck with the force of an avalanche by him.

Slowly, the surface of Cinder's skin – or rather the rock that had formed across it over eons – crumbled and broke away. Patches of leathery lizard-like skin beneath, a deep black in colour with red veins running through it, became visible. When his water touched it, steam rose up in great clouds of white.

" **JAUNE!"** Cinder screamed. **"I WILL DESTROY EVERYTHING YOU HAVE EVER LOVED!"**

More and more of her armour broke away, no longer supported by pieces he'd ripped loose. The slow destruction became an avalanche of rock that splashed down into the water, as even the huge volcano on her back slid to the side – not a part of her body, but rather a structure that had risen up as she slept underground, the very rock and soil and crush of the planet reacting to her molten heat.

It created a huge cloud of smoke and heat when it fell into the ocean – enough so that he had to back away or be burned alive as the magma mixed with water. He circulated the water in and out to cool it faster, and to prevent Cinder gaining an edge. Even so, he lost sight of her for a moment and dipped his head under the waves, leaving only his eyes and nose above. If she opened with another fire attack, he'd have time to slip under and move.

A crack echoed, followed by splashes. The last rock tumbling down as _something_ moved within the smoke. The acrid _tang_ of fire reached his nostrils, and it was much stronger than it had ever been before. The ash was gone. All he could smell was fire.

The shadow that rose up within the smoke and steam was taller than she'd been before. He dipped lower, backing up in case she collapsed forward to try and reach him. The shape was followed by a second, however, reaching up and out like great triangular kites.

And then they moved, flapped, and a sonic boom tore the smoke away.

Cinder was on all fours as she'd always been but with her head dipped, chin touching the water. She shook her black and red body, shaking off the last rocks that splashed into the water like a person who had just woken up might shake off sleep.

The rock had been armour but it had also been a hindrance. When he'd first seen her, he thought turtle – but he could see now that the similarities were more for the rock that had grown atop her than anything about her. Cinder wasn't a turtle, though she was reptilian. And with the rock holding her down removed, she was revealed in all her terrifying glory.

Mighty wings beat twice in the air, stretching up and discarding more pebbles and stones that clung to her. They stretched, so unused to the sunlight and fresh air that they would twitch as if experiencing it for the first time. Cinder's head, atop a sinuous neck, swept from side to side like she herself was just waking up.

Red light rippled and flickered under her skin, travelling from her hindquarters down her ridged back and up to her neck and head. Where the red light passed through skin touching water, steam and smoke began to billow and the water bubbled and hissed. It reached her head, spiralling in toward her mouth, where she puffed out a breath of fire.

A dragon. Cinder was an honest to goodness dragon.

Her eyes snapped open, shining gold. They locked onto him as she locked her back and spread her wings left and right, screeching in his direction. Freed from the rock that encased her, she darted forward – faster than she'd ever been before. She was upon him before he could react, head snapping down into the water like a seagull catching a fish, spearing in and locking around him.

So fast! Too fast! Jaune writhed and lashed out with his tail, striking her flank and rocking her to the side. She was less stable and armoured – a trade off that had been forced on her. Even so, her teeth dug deep into him, making his entire body spasm reflexively.

" **Yours will be a soul I feast upon,"** the dragon rumbled. **"And your family's souls shall be next. Rest assured, Jaune Arc, I will visit upon those that carry your name a death that will be whispered of throughout history."**

Fire rushed through her throat and out her mouth, blistering around him and cooking him alive. Jaune roared out, writhing as his scales buckled, seared and melted. The fire splashed left and right out the sides of her mouth, concentrated solely on the part of him she had her jaws clamped down on. It lasted only a few seconds, but those seconds were unspeakable agony – like he was strapped to a pole being cooked over an open fire, skin blistering and popping in the heat.

It stopped and he sagged, limp. One of his bright eyes fixed on her, saw her own register pleasure – and then felt the build-up of heat again before another wave of fire washed over him, burning him alive.

His screams echoed out over the ocean.

* * *

 **One of the fun things about writing these is seeing what similarities people find in other media – especially for a monster like Cinder. There were some good ones to her description last chapter, with several people referencing Monster Hunter world and a "Zora Magdros", others seeing monsters from DnD like the Tarrasque, and other things from games I don't know. Haven't played Monster Hunter either, but I Googled the image and it looks good – except that thing looks to be raising up more like a Godzilla dragon, whereas Cinder is on all fours.**

 **And then someone on the forums said Torkoal.**

 **Please no. I Googled that and can't unsee it now. Pokemon ruining my dramatic moment with a cute volcano turtle Cinder with a sleepy expression. Stop please!**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 6** **th** **October**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	52. Chapter 52

**She's a turtle. No wait, she's a dragon. A dragon turtle. Had some more comments about Monster Hunter, which I checked out online. It looks fun to be honest. When I first heard of it, I was turned off because I thought it was some always online mmo, which I tend to avoid because I don't need hundreds of hours of my life ripped away from me.**

 **Might have to give it a look, though. Except with my internet speed it'll probably take me** _ **days**_ **to even download it in the first place.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 52**

* * *

Weiss watched the two titans clash. It had been so even for so long, or even favouring Leviathan, but now that Cinder had shaken away the mountain of rock holding her down, she was fast and agile. She dragged the giant serpent up out the water with her powerful jaws and neck, swinging him high above and then bringing him back down again. The impact sent tidal waves rippling out in every direction – followed by a gout of steam that hissed and sizzled and burnt the water away.

Jaune's screams reached them even so far away.

"He's being killed out there."

"Adam!" Blake hissed.

"What? I'm giving the accurate analysis. He isn't going to survive her fire breath."

"He's in the water," Weiss said. "He'll heal."

"Not fast enough; not with her cooking his insides. If he doesn't get this under control, he'll be dead within minutes."

Christ – she had to do something. Weiss dipped a wing and wheeled around, taking them back in his direction while Blake yelled out how bad an idea this was. Her size and bulk was nothing compared to Cinder. Her body was light and lithe, the better to subsist off sunlight. She wasn't even sure how Cinder could possibly carry her weight on those wings. More Grimm bullshit, no doubt.

 _I can't use sunlight to cook the area without hitting Jaune, and he's already wounded. My talons aren't penetrating that hide anytime soon and I can't pull any acrobatics without throwing Adam and Blake off._

Limited options.

"Hold on tight," she called back – ignoring Adam's growls of _how_ he was supposed to do that with hooves; she felt him bite down. Good enough.

She tucked her wings into her side and plummeted. Wind whistled past them and her eyes ran dry. Her eyelids swept sideways, less like eyelids and more window wipers. She had but a moment to realise that and feel disgust before she was bringing her lower body around and driving her talons into Cinder's head with a shriek.

Her sharp talons skittered off hide thicker than leather and harder than steel. It caused sparks across Cinder's snout and left thin lines, but no damage. Scratching her way across the snout, she aimed for the eye, seeing it focus on her and narrow as she surged in.

Two black plates swept in from side to side over the golden orb, locking with a vertical slit down the middle. Weiss hit it with all her strength but bounced off. Stunned, she flapped her wings and hovered in the air. If Cinder had wanted to, she could have snapped her out the air and killed her right there.

Cinder only cared for Jaune, however. She kept her eye closed, the other open, and sent another wave of superheated fire into his body. The horrible stench of cooking flesh reached her nose and she gagged – or would have, if she could. Dimly, she heard Blake shout something about how it wasn't enough. The words were muddy with her head still spinning from the impact, but even then she could have told Blake she knew that already. The satisfying feeling of her talons sinking into an eye had been thwarted.

Flapping her wings, she took off and swung around to the other side. Cinder's eyes opened again, but when she swept to the left, that one closed. It was such a small thing for her to do, and without even letting go of Jaune. In fact, she continued to blast fire into him, wrenching his body left and right with every blast. He hung limp in her jaws, the only sight of movement being when he twitched or writhed in pain.

 _I have to break him free,_ she thought, flying up high. He was going to die if she didn't – but how could she distract Cinder? Her only weapons were sunlight and her talons, and Cinder was a literal being of fire. Burning her wasn't going to be an option without doing the same to Jaune. Meanwhile, her talons weren't strong enough to pierce flesh.

"Weiss!" Ruby's voice reached her sensitive ears. The spectral figure was on Cinder's snout, by her left eye – which had closed upon seeing Weiss' approach. Ruby had her hands on the lid, and it was turning a sickly grey in colour. The flesh was dying.

That was it. Her chance.

Sweeping up into the air, she found as much height as she realistically could. Her enhanced eyesight let her see perfectly what Ruby was doing, and as the membrane over Cinder's eye withered and died, it became hard and brittle. Sealed shut, too. Cinder jostled her head and was clearly trying to open it. Flames snorted out her nose and mouth and for a moment she thought Cinder might let him go from that alone.

She didn't, and so Weiss tucked her wings in again and dove, plummeting in toward the eye and the membrane before it, which was slowly beginning to flake away, exposing the soft and bright golden orb within.

/-/

The sensation of being cooked from the inside out was something he'd never expected to feel. It was also hard to understand. His body felt simultaneously hot and cold, while his nerves fried and screamed in agony in places but were numb in others. Through it all, the pervading sense of panic overwhelmed his mind. The fact he _knew_ he was being cooked alive was worse than the pain.

 _If this body were human, it would be worse. All that fat to burn and skin to cook._

The morbid thought came on with a strange sense of detachment. He wasn't human anymore. He wasn't even alive. Jaune Arc died in Pyrrha Nikos' garden, shot dead by police officers who thought him an armed and dangerous terrorist. They'd probably face a review for that. Be suspended for a while, before ultimately being found innocent and praised as heroes. At least in this case they deserved it, whereas in so many others they were just protected.

His thoughts were straying. His mind was wandering. Christ, this was so fucked up.

And his body felt so limp.

 _It's enough,_ he thought. _I've removed Cinder from the world and pushed back the boundary. Isn't that enough? Ozpin can handle the rest from here. I'm tired. So damn tired._ Souls existed. He knew that now. He'd never been a religious person, but suddenly knowing it was all true, he wondered where he'd go and what he'd say.

If God was there to judge him, it was going to be an awkward conversation – especially explaining how he never thought a God existed at all. Hopefully, he'd decide the things Jaune had done in life merited a good afterlife. Dying to save Pyrrha had to count for something, right?

Maybe he'd see Yang again. Maybe get to meet the real Ruby.

And then he was flying.

Cinder's roars turned to shrieks and splashing as the dragon reared back and snapped at the air, both letting go of him and hurling him up. His body coiled and writhed, unable to control itself. He came down with a whoosh, crashing into the surf and sinking below the wonderfully cool water. It washed over him, seeping into wounds and caressing him. He didn't even swim. He just sank to the bottom and lay there, body stirring lightly.

A jet of bubbles and steam ripped through the water nearby. It was close – at least by the standards of his size. It seared through the water in a straight line some hundred or so metres away, cutting off as suddenly as it started. A second one came after, like a knife made of bubbles and steam was being pushed into the water and dragged along the bottom.

Cinder. She'd lost sight of him. The streams of bubbles were her fire cutting through the water, being doused but still burning so hot the water around it boiled in an instant. The lines cut in patterns, scouring the floor in search of him.

He shifted his bulk as the trails cut closer. Using the water to push him, he slid across the silt floor, carving a great furrow into the land. The water was shallow, however, and his fins cut through the surf as he tried to move. A victorious roar sounded followed by the ripples from four feet stamping down as the dragon lurched and dashed through the water.

He swam on in a panic, seeking the deeper water. It was filtering in from his ocean, but over so great a distance! It was taking time and the water he was in was shallow, barely enough to cover his scales when he laid flat. More than shallow enough for her to notice his shadow and pursue. He could hear Weiss screeching as she dove in for Cinder's head over and over, but she only had eyes – or a single eye, the other being a ruined mess – for him.

Her jaw opened. Heat rushed forth again. Weiss tried to clamp down on the tip of the snout and force it shut, but Cinder ignored her.

The water around him boiled and bubbled. Scales flaked and peeled off him, each as painful as a toenail being wrenched away. He bellowed and flung himself away, instinctively seeking the deeper water he could hide in. If this was his ocean he could just sink and escape. Instead, he'd weakened himself by leaving his Domain to challenge her. Driven by rage and grief, he'd thrown away every edge he had.

" **Jaune!"** she roared. **"Die!"**

Cinder crashed down on him. It was a tangle of scales, claws, teeth and limbs as she tried to pin him down and tear at him. He kept the water flowing, building a current that moved his slippery body along the floor, thwarting her efforts. It didn't stop her trying and she settled her full weight on him, pinning him down with all four limbs on the ground.

His tail lashed out at one, coincidentally at the same time Weiss lunged in for her good eye again, forcing Cinder to close it. The sudden lurch of her footing being torn away caused her to crash down. The water still wasn't deep enough to really submerge her fully, but her snout went under and steam hissed and bubbled up. It got her to let go of him and pull it back out, and to snap at Weiss as she agilely flew by.

The current kept pushing, sliding him along the floor and her with him. The water grew deeper, gradually at first and then quicker. Their battle had already taken them to the edge of what was once her Domain, past the ruined walls of ash that had built up from countless sacrifices. They even went past several souls he could sense in the water. They had the sense to get out the way and would be safe there. Nora might have been among them, but he didn't have time to check. Cinder's jaws clamped on his neck again, pushing down into the water to pin him to the lakebed.

In return, he launched his lower end up out the water, pushing up so hard it caught her by surprise and flipped her tail over head in a forward somersault. Crashing back into the water, now with him on top, she turned into a whirling mass of fire and scales. Having four legs and all the dexterity that came with it, she was able to push and toss him off, though not before he'd swept them further and further away. This time when she stood, the water tickled her belly instead of reaching her knees. They fought within a flooded forest, trees torn up and floating past them.

He saw her looking around, concerned. Before she could think on it, he lunged forward with a scream, **"Cinderrr!"**

Her eyes snapped back to him and she lowered her head, catching his charge in her jaws and bringing him up out the water. Like a wrestler, she slammed him back down, sending logs and trees scattering in every direction and tearing scales off him. He gritted his metaphorical teeth against the pain and kept pushing the water harder and harder against her, buckling her legs and submerging her wings. With how deep it was, she had to submerge her head to pin him down. He used those moments to push them further, moving the very floor beneath her.

Mountains swept by, punctuated by fierce roars and a head snapping down, tearing out hunks of scales and flesh from his body. Blood flowed and formed a trail behind them, Cinder shrieking victoriously with every wound she inflicted. His own body laboured on, pain threatening to blank him out at any moment. Death lingered on the edge of his vision, begging him to let go and pass on.

He ignored it. He'd already died. Nothing she could do now would compare.

Fresh rage fuelled him. He lunged up on her next attack and bit down himself on her shoulder. He didn't have legs or feet to use for purchase, so shook his head like an alligator trying to tear meat away. His body wrapped around hers, pulling her down by sheer weight alone.

They grappled and slid through a submerged desert Domain. The advantage was hers for the limbs alone, allowing her to pry his body and manipulate him in ways he couldn't. His only edge was the water, which he lashed against her as best he could, slamming waves into her sides, tugging her legs out from under her and forcing in flowing rivers past the teeth clamped on his neck and down her throat, forcing her to occasionally let go and hack it out before attacking again.

They travelled out into the great ocean. The currents swept them, tangled and ensnared in one another, his body wrapped around her waist and under her wings, his neck coiled about her own, her teeth clamped down on his head and his on her throat. Their tails battled and her clawed feet carved into his scales. Out and away they travelled, until her previous Domain was but a speck in the distance and the water became deeper and deeper, Cinder's thrashing worse and worse.

It was the point where her feet could no longer touch the floor that she realised. He felt it in the way she tensed. In how her flame breath cut off and the teeth buried in his skull stopped trying to pop his head like a grape.

Her wings expanded suddenly, flexing into the air. She released his neck and craned her head up and into the air, tensing her body as she pushed away with her limbs. It was the first time she'd released him, and his first instinct was to allow it and recover, to let her fly away.

" **No! It ends now!"**

He surging up out the water to clamp down on the membrane between her elbow joint and wing. It was thin and his teeth sunk through, piercing the material and drawing a raw of fury from her. The wing fell, clasped into her side and unbalancing her. She crashed down into the water again, tail splashing after.

" **Release me!"** she howled.

" **NEVER!"**

Another blast of fire roasted his scalp, cooking his brain and making his eyes become misty. In turn, he dove down and pushed her under, using his body to thrust them further underwater. The fire became steam and bubbles, no less hot but doused. The water washed over him, cooling and drawing the heat away, replacing it with a cold that became ever more chill and darker as his powerful tail pushed them deeper into the water, into what was now a deep ocean her feet couldn't touch the bottom of.

This was his Domain now.

Jagged fangs scraped on his skull as she let go. The relief was crushing – or maybe that was just the lack of her jaw literally crushing his skull that he felt. Her tail uncoiled from his as well and her feet kicked off, pushing her free from him. The water was immediately soothing, and he wanted nothing more than to bask in it and recover. He knew deep inside that he was on the verge of death.

She was, too.

He pushed the exhaustion away and turned his gaze up, casting beams of yellow light onto her as she swum clumsily through the water using her wings as fins to propel herself toward the surface. His body coiled like a spring and pushed up off the floor, shooting up like a silver spear. The water rushed around him, propelling him faster still. He closed his eyes, dipped his head forward and braced for impact.

The collision jarred his brain in his skull. Instant darkness washed over him. He heard her roar in the water, a sound both gargled and yet somehow still audible. He curled up and sank for a few seconds, long enough for his vision to return. Not dead or concussed, just stunned. Shaking it away, he pushed again, swimming up and inspecting the damage.

Cinder's ribs on the left side of her body were broken. The cavernous chest had caved inward, a grisly sight despite the lack of blood. So huge a beast needed a powerful ribcage to support its weight and the damage spoke for itself. Her left wing was similarly weak, flapping less energetically. A single eye, the one not ravaged by Weiss, stared at him with so much hate and loathing, but also a hint of panic. Of fear. She made no attempt to attack him. Couldn't.

It was almost gentle how he wrapped his body around hers. The slow coiling like an anaconda around its prey, pinning her wings to her side and holding tightly to her. He didn't squeeze her. He just hung on and let gravity take its toll.

Her long neck craned and snapped up to the surface of the water, so close they could see the light's reflection rippling over it. Her snout came close but didn't break through, and his gargantuan bulk slowly dragged her away from it. Her powerful arms and legs struggled to kick and break free, carving great furrows into his scales and drawing blood, which misted around them in the water, tinting it red. Pain screamed up and down the length of him, but he held on tight and pushed them both down, water swirling around them as the light above dwindled.

Cinder's struggling became more frantic. Her entire body buckled as she thrashed in his grip. Her head turned away from the surface and struck down on his, teeth biting down into his skull and gripping on tight.

Fire splashed over him. Again and again. It bubbled and hissed around them, burning his scales away. One of his eyes bulged and popped, exploding in its socket. His other throbbed. Blood poured out thick from his mouth and head. Darkness swept in.

Jaune held on. Even if he died, he locked his body around hers, making sure they'd remain linked.

The dark swept in for her as well. The light of the sun became distant, concealed by the deep depths they sunk into. The water was cold and inviting, a blackish blue that stretched on for eternity, lit only by his one glowing eye and the brief spurts of fire from her throat. Even those were becoming dimmer, the fires within her doused by water or smothered out by the lack of oxygen.

Just like her. Cinder's struggling slowed down. Her spasms became less and less. Her jaw crunched down, trying one last time to splinter his head, and then slackened. Her final, desperate, attempt was to let go and stretch her neck up again toward the air she needed – but by that point they were hundreds of metres below the waves, slowly coming to rest on the seabed in a cloud of displaced sand. Her long neck came down to rest on the ocean's floor. Her one good eye was next to his, so close their cheeks touched.

It blinked once.

Angry.

Resigned.

Bitter.

Accepting.

Peaceful…

The eye slowly closed.

It did not open again.

Spent, Jaune slowly uncoupled himself from her and slumped down into the sand beside her, two titans of a brutal world curled up side by side on the bottom of the ocean. It was done. Finally, it was done. With blood still oozing from him, he let his head fall. The water was a soft and welcome release, whisking his thoughts away as he surrendered himself to it.

/-/

"Where are they?" Weiss asked, despite knowing she had the best eyes among them and that Adam and Blake, situated on her back, couldn't even see down into the water. It was more to herself anyway, though Ruby answered, floating alongside her.

"You sensed them in your Domain."

"Yes. They were fighting here – I could feel it." Rough and indistinct, but so tangible the aftershock of it still left her head tingling. The air above the ocean was hers. She didn't know why or exactly where it ended or _how_ air could have a border, but it did. Her Domain lasted as far as the ocean did and no further.

Not that they'd have needed that to know. The ocean was red with blood and chunks of gruesome flesh bobbing up and down in the waves. It looked like a pod of whales had tangled with an ICBM with predictable results. There had to be two tonnes of meat there at least, and gallons of blood.

"You don't need to breathe," Weiss said.

Ruby nodded.

"Go down and look for them. I'll drop Blake and Adam off nearby, then return to find Nora. Help Jaune if you can."

"Okay."

Ruby must have known how useless Weiss and the others were here. They couldn't breathe underwater, and there wasn't much she could do at all with the two Grimm clinging to her feathers. The spirit dove down and through the water, uncaring about the blood and guts she pushed through.

Weiss wheeled her mighty wings and dove for the beach several kilometres away, and the glade that lay beyond. The scent of blood was in the air and she could only hope it wasn't his. Or at least not his alone. Of Cinder, the mighty dragon of fire, there was nothing.

She hoped that was a good sign.

* * *

 **So, this is probably the penultimate chapter of the story. Might be third to last; it really depends on how quickly I can tie everything up next chapter. We'll see when that one comes out, but that chapter might just be a long one if I need it.**

 **There might be a brief epilogue too, but if so, I'll release both at once. I don't much see the point in cheating people out a weekly update for a 1,000 word epilogue. This story has been fun but there's definitely been things I did wrong or didn't translate well from my plans to the pages. Such always happens; it's easier to see mistakes in hindsight.**

 **I won't talk like it's over now, though. There is still at least one more chapter to go.**

 **For those asking, next story will probably be Yellow Fang, though I'll tell you now that I'll be trying to think up a better title for it. I mean, it does the job but eh. Not exactly exciting or cool as titles go.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 13** **th** **October**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	53. Chapter 53

**So, I had to take my mother into the hospital today as she decided to be an idiot and feed the stallion on her own (she raises horses). She knows she isn't meant to because he's a dick and for her age, but there she went as always. She** _ **always**_ **does stuff like this and just goes "Oh, I thought it'd be okay" after. I kid you not, she's had broken limbs multiple times from this same fucking horse.**

 **And yep, broken collarbone today. Nice. And four hours in hospital with her for me.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

 **Chapter 53**

* * *

Weiss stood respectfully to the side as the coffin was slowly lowered into the grave. A sobbing family of almost ten were closer, some on their knees and the only make holding on to as many as he could, a futile gesture to comfort every one of them at once. The black coffin was varnished with gold scrolling along it, atop which lay a wreath of roses.

The coffin was both empty and not. It contained the body but not the soul of the deceased.

She wasn't sure what she was supposed to think as the first shovels of soil were placed atop it. Grief for one who wasn't dead? Sympathy for a family who could never know the truth? Relief that it was all over at last? The latter was the strongest and she hated herself for it. She turned and walked away, past Ruby, hesitating between approaching the family or not, and also past Adam and Blake, who had come but could never truly understand the grieving.

Other hunters made way for her, all out in their black suits and dresses made damp from furious rain. At the back, Ozpin stood alongside Velvet and Oscar.

"You're not going to say anything?" she asked.

"It wouldn't feel right," the old man said. "He did not die for my sake but theirs. I won't interrupt their farewells to give a few of my own. I can come back later and pray at his grave." He tipped his hat to ward out the rain, and perhaps more that he didn't wish her to see. "I have buried far too many in my time. I've seen this all too often. If there's one wish I have, it is that the next funeral held be my own. Perhaps, finally, that might prove true…"

"Yes." Weiss looked back. "Because of him."

"Because of all of you, Weiss. This was a group effort. And there is still work to do. The Awakened are still as such, even if the Grimm have disappeared. With Cinder gone, her thralls are free from control, but no doubt lost and confused. We need to ensure their safety."

"Another day, Ozpin." Weiss looked back to Ruby, who had finally worked up the nerve to step toward the bereaved family. Something Weiss could not. "Leave that for another day. They need time to heal."

"Yes. That was unfair of me. We've all lost so much."

She'd hardly lost a thing. A father that didn't care for her and a little freedom. Perhaps her name, but who cared for that. Sleep and safety, yes, but she'd lost little compared to Ruby and Jaune and Pyrrha and so many others. Compared to them, she'd come out fine, albeit scarred in ways she couldn't quite explain.

 _Then I'll just have to make it up to them._ Weiss turned away from the funeral. There was work to be done. A peace to be maintained. _I won't let your sacrifice be in vain. I will make sure this world remains free._

/-/

She was not human.

She'd never been human.

To think it was a lie, a sick joke. Her skin was that of a young girl who couldn't stand to lose her big sister. Her life was stolen. Even Yang had been misled, tricked by a horrible parasite who stole her sister's body and pretended to be her, all to feast on the love she provided. If there was anyone less qualified to act human, it was her.

And yet, Ruby knew grief. She knew loss. The pain of it.

"M-Mrs Arc?" she stammered. "J-Juniper…"

The woman looked up from her husband's arm, wrapped up with two of her daughters while three more were clutched in her own arms, faces buried in her chest and shoulders. The eldest stood aside, staring at the grass and whispering prayers to her brother. Juniper Arc had streams of tears pouring down her face and though she made some small attempt to wipe them away on her husband's arm, it was fruitless.

"Y… Yes…?" she wept. "C… Can I help you?"

"I'm a friend – was a friend… No, I _am_ a friend of Jaune's. He… He helped me when I lost my sister a few weeks back. Helped me cope when I had no one else."

Juniper Arc couldn't find the words but her husband, Jaune's father, managed a smile "That sounds like our boy. What's your name?"

"Ruby. Ruby Rose. I was… I was close with him. He was all I had for a while."

"I'm sorry for your loss."

"No. I have other people now. I just… I wanted to tell you a bit about him." The words tumbled out. "What he was like, how brave he was, how he helped me and other people. He loved you all," she said. "He talked about you all the time. How you're in the military and his mom was a lawyer, how life was growing up with so many sisters. He really loved you."

Juniper cried harder and Ruby wondered if she'd only made it worse, up until Nicholas Arc smiled and held onto his wife. "Thank you." His voice was raw. "That means a lot to hear."

"I'd like to tell you more," she said. "What happened to him. Why. And how he knew he had to stop it because the bad people he stopped wanted to come after _you_ all next. How Jaune knew he was going to die but walked into it to keep his sisters and you safe."

"That… I…" He closed his eyes. "We've heard so many conflicting stories. He was shot down by the police and they said he had a hostage, but now the news is calling him a hero. We don't know what to believe."

"I can tell you."

"I think… Yes, we'd like that. Please." Nicholas held his family close. "And if you can, could you tell us how he was here? Not when he was in danger, but when he was happy?"

Ruby smiled. "I'll tell you everything."

/-/

 _Drip – Drip_

 _Drip – Drip_

 _Drip – Drip_

Was he drowning again?

It seemed so long since then, since that bathroom where it all began, head pushed down into a toilet as the world swirled out from under him and he stared into the abyss. Since the abyss stared back with bright yellow eyes and sharp teeth.

 _Drip – Drip_

 _Drip – Drip_

The tap was leaking again. That reminder deep in his skull.

 _Drip – Drip_

The lonely droplets falling into an ocean without limit, without life, without anything but the deep dark and cold that crept up the body. An endless abyss that stretched on and on.

 _Drip – Drip_

 _Pit – Pit_

 _Pit – Pit_

That was… new. Something tapped on his eyelid in a pitter-patter motion. Light little taps and picks. A cavernous rumble echoed through his body and the sensation faded. A _whoosh_ of water sounded all around him and then blessed silence. Loneliness.

 _Pit – Pit_

And then it was back again.

 _Pit – Pit_

 _Pit – Pit_

 _Pit – Pit_

Jaune grumbled again but this time the sensation didn't go away; it was happening all over his head. With exhaustion still tugging in every deep part of his body, he forced his huge eyes to open, membrane spreading back.

A bright pink and white fish stared back at him. Startled, it darted away with a _whoosh_.

Fish…? Stupid as the thought was, his mind was as tired as the rest of him and it took a few seconds for the surprise to filter through. His Domain didn't contain fish. It was an empty ocean devoid of any and all life. It was as lonely as it was deep, harbouring a single terrible secret in the form of Leviathan.

More sound from nearby filtered through and a shoal of striped yellow and silver fish swam by numbering in their hundreds. They came close to his face, uncaring or unafraid of him. They hurried by, following each other and moving elegantly through the water. As his eyes tracked them, he noticed more of the pink and white fish to his side, flitting about his own body and pecking at his scales. They were too small to hurt but it explained the noise he kept hearing. Curiously, he watched as one pushed under a scale and tugged back, bringing with it a tiny amount of silt.

Were they feeding off him? Cleaning him…? Some fish did that in the wild.

On earth, that was. Not here. And this _was_ his Domain because he could still feel it, and now that he expanded his senses, he could feel _thousands_ – or even tens of thousands – of tiny life signatures within it. The dizzying array threatened to overwhelm him for a second and all he could do was lay there on the ocean floor and process it.

The sea was alive. Plankton, fish and everything else that made up an ecosystem. He followed one larger fish as it lazily swam through the water before his face, dipped under his eyes and to the left, into a patch of coral which concealed it. Coral…? Since when had there been coral in his ocean? He shifted his head, pushing up sand and sending cleaner fish darting in every direction. As the clouds died down, his vision cleared.

Cinder's body was gone. Or concealed. Engulfed by rich coral that sprouted in so many different colours, bright and alive with teeming fish that darted in and out of recesses, into what must have been a half-decayed ribcage. Much larger fish, some as big as sharks, lazily made their way through with eyes fixed on the ground, while three crustaceans scuttled along by Cinder's head. Or what might once have been her head. It was difficult to tell with all the spider-like coral sticking out in every direction, some with thin strands of plant-like fibres poking out to catch plankton. Given Cinder's sheer mass and size, the coral reef went on for well over a kilometre, explaining the sudden abundance of rich sea life, if not how it happened in the first place.

 _Pit – Pit_

The cleaner fish were back. Having decided he wasn't actively hunting them, they'd returned to use his giant body for protection and a source of food. Strange as it was, he did his best not to crush any as he reared up and pushed off the ground. At least fifty crabs scurried out from the dust, having been using him as cover and now bereft of it and seeking more. Had he become part of their ecosystem as well?

There was something – someone – on the surface. Shaking off what felt like decades of sand, he pushed up off the seabed, swimming slowly toward the surface and leaving Cinder's reef behind.

/-/

Ruby was waiting for him above water.

"You're awake!" She flew over, cloak skirting across the waves as she came to float in front of him. For the first time, it felt like he could see her face. Or the thinnest traces of it. "We were so worried. You were asleep for a long while."

"How long?" he boomed.

"Two months, give or take a few days." Ruby's voice trailed off. "We found your body."

They knew, then. He hadn't thought how to tell them – he'd just been too angry at Cinder and wanting to tear her to pieces before she could follow through and hurt his family and friends. How to tell them all that he was dead and locked to the Grimm world hadn't really crossed his mind. Now, it seemed it wouldn't be necessary.

"Did you turn Cinder's body into that reef?"

"Yep. I wanted to make sure she was dead. Dead and gone. I rotted her all the way through and broke her down. I just kept ageing and ageing her to see what would happen, then poof! Life just sort of exploded out of her."

Through death, she brought life. Or the circle of life anyway. The dead became nutrients for worms in the soil, or in her case she'd become nutrients for coral and plankton, which in turn supported fish. How long all that would have taken when the sea was empty, he didn't know. Ruby either aged her hundreds of thousands of years, or he'd connected his ocean with another when he flooded his way to Cinder's Domain and introduced fresh fish to it. There was no telling.

 _It's a fitting end for her. She wanted to kill everyone for her own power, and now she dies, and her power is used to bring others to life._ There was so much bulk and mass to her that she'd kickstarted an entire ecosystem.

She would not be getting up from that. It was well and truly over.

"What is happening on the other side?" he asked. "Tell me."

"The boundary has been sealed and the Grimm have stopped appearing. The hunters haven't disbanded, though. They still spend time together to reminisce and Vale is their home. Some, anyway. Others have moved out, wanting to start new lives and forget this nightmare. I can't blame them wanting to forget it all. Ozpin is safe. He's retired and has decided to just run his pub as just that."

"And the police?"

"They're under investigation. The blame for everything fell on Alexander Nikos and Pyrrha supported that, telling everyone how her father went mad and killed her mother, then tried to kill you. How you saved her and died in the process. Looking back, they've found evidence of what they think is corruption from her father. Probably Cinder not caring and doing whatever she wanted. It's all worked out and the hunters have been cleared." Ruby paused. "We had to bring her in on the truth. There was no way to hide it and keep her revealing anything."

He winced. "Does she hate me?"

"No. She's hurt but…" Ruby sighed. "She said to thank you for saving her father. Even if his reputation is ruined, she says he wouldn't have cared so long as she was safe. She said he'd be grateful for what you did." Ruby looked away. "She was in tears as you might expect – she's lost her entire family and her father is considered a psychopath. I think she's going to move away as well. Vale isn't a home for her anymore. She did have a message for you, though. Asked me or Weiss to deliver it."

"And that is?"

"That she thinks she loves you." Though he couldn't see it, he sensed her bitter smile. "Or was in love with you. And that she's sorry for everything."

Jaune's luminescent eyes closed. He wasn't sure what he felt – elation, sorrow or nothing at all. It was all a mess inside him. There hadn't been time for attraction at the end and he couldn't say he'd returned her feelings or felt the same way, even if he knew that were the situation different and no Grimm existed, he'd have fallen hopelessly in love with her. Sadly, that wasn't to be.

"Your name was cleared," Ruby went on. "You're being called an American hero."

"Am I getting a statue? Or just thoughts and prayers?" he asked with a snort.

"Thoughts and prayers and Twitter tributes," she said with a sigh. "Politicians, celebrities, athletes, the lot… That's just how life is, I guess. They've all convinced themselves all the crazy stuff happening was because of Alexander Nikos. Chemical testing, terrorist attacks or the like."

"Ignorance in bliss. I hate it but… it keeps the world safe."

"Yeah…"

A great gout of steam came from his nostrils. "My family…"

"They came," Ruby whispered. He knew from tone alone that it had been bad, though that much could be expected. "They were broken up. Obviously. I talked to them a little, to your mom and dad. Told them about us; how we were friends. I didn't tell them the truth, obviously, but I said how much you talked about them. How much you loved them. Also how they were threatened, and you did what you did because you wanted to protect them. Because you loved them."

His breath wavered. "Thank you, Ruby. Thank you."

"I didn't think it safe to tell them the truth. Even if you're still alive here. I made it out like criminals did it to you. Bad people, but nothing supernatural. I can tell them the truth if you want…"

"No. It's better this way. To know is to Awaken, and I'm not really alive, am I? Not as Jaune Arc. They're safe. Hurt, but safe. That's what matters." He hoped they would look after one another. Band together and be strong; remember the good times. At least they knew he'd died for the right reasons. It would have been too painful if they thought him a terrorist.

"You've been buried in Vale," she said. "There was a funeral. A lot of people came. Ozpin, Weiss, Velvet, Oscar – lots of hunters, not to mention Ren and Nora." She laughed weakly. "I think your family were surprised how many people you had. They probably thought we were all just well-wishers who heard about you on the news." Ruby looked up to him. "A lot of hunters owe you their lives, Jaune. You're a hero to them. Ozpin held our own funeral for you in Beacon and every single person was there. It was packed to the brim. There was a huge toast. Speeches. Everything…"

How were you supposed to feel, hearing about your own funeral? Selfish as it may have been, he felt some pleasure. There was also discomfort. He was dead in his world and he knew it but hearing that there'd been a funeral drove the final nail in the coffin. Before, there'd been a naïve and desperate hope. That maybe he was just wounded or in a coma, or that he'd wake up or find a way back. That was impossible now. The only way he could walk the earth again was if he did as Blake and Adam had. _And in doing so, weakening the boundary all over again._

"What of those already Awakened?" he asked. "What about Nora?"

"Nora still comes here when she sleeps. It's still dangerous to be Awakened, but Ozpin has passed on the information that everyone should seek the ocean. I hope you don't mind, but he thought it could be a haven for people."

"Tell him I'm more than happy to protect them. And Nora?"

"Already here," she said, "Just awake at the minute. Your other friend, Ren, was pretty broke up about what happened so she's helping him. It's a little easier for her. Even if you're dead, you're not gone. You'll see her tonight when she's asleep. Fair warning, she's probably going to cry."

"I'll weather it," he said, cheering up a little. Nora was safe and he could see her again.

Only for a while, though. Fifty, sixty, maybe eighty or ninety years if she grew as old as possible, but sooner or later she would die, and he would not. It was madness to worry about that now, yet he couldn't escape it. Was this how Ruby felt? Even if she was happier than she'd ever been before with them and Yang, she knew in the back of her head it would be but a brief respite in an eternity of being alone.

In time, the world would forget him and even his sisters and their own future children would grow old and die. That was the thing about immortality; it sounded so tempting until you were there. _Will I be tempted to kill a wandering soul in time, just to get a chance to visit the world again?_ He wanted to say no and knew he would now, but how firm would his resolve be in a thousand years? Or two? Impossible to know.

"I guess things are getting back to normal now," she said. "For Vale, anyway. No Nightmares, no freak storms or fires. Some of the people Cinder kidnapped have tried to tell about it, but people are blaming it on satanic rituals, madness or political conspiracies. The usual. Ozpin says the victims will soon either forget about it themselves or convince themselves it was all hallucinations."

"Amazing what the human mind can adapt to," he said.

And it _was_ adaption. Not just hiding. Repression was something the mind did to protect you – and maybe that was proof of just how much this happened throughout history. For all they knew, their bodies and minds had evolved to form protections against the Grimm over tens of thousands of years of exposure. Just like it could form an immunity to various illnesses it contracted over a lifetime.

None of that helped distract him.

"It's really over then." He lowered his huge head down until his chin was lapped by the waves. "I'm dead. We may have killed Cinder, but she won in the end. I died."

"Yeah…" Ruby obviously didn't know how to address it. "You did…"

For a good cause, the right cause, but he was still dead. Everything he'd fought for was with a will to survive and that just hadn't been enough. Knowing his family were alive was great, but not being able to see them again? After he'd fought so hard to be able to?

"It sucks. It really fucking sucks…"

Sucks? It deserved more than that. Screaming, ranting and raging felt more appropriate, but he lacked the energy. Even after two months of resting his body hadn't fully recovered from the absolute mauling Cinder put him through. And what did it matter if he raged? Who would he rage at? The one responsible was dead now; food for the fishes. Shouting at Ruby wouldn't make it better. Not much would. Anger, bargaining, depression and denial? They were all there, but muted and distant, much like the world he'd come from.

All he could do was accept it.

 _I'll just have to make a new life here. What else can I do?_

"How is everyone else?" he asked, desperate for a distraction. "How is Weiss? What's going to happen to the hunters and her now?"

"Weiss is going to continue them. She says the attacks are cyclical. Think of the old myths and legends. Ragnarök, Atlantis, Leviathan, Jormungandr, the Kraken. Even things like Kappas, Bigfoot and Wendigos. Those were Grimm coming through time and time again. Sooner or later, there's always an Ancient Grimm that will try and break through. Cinder was just the latest of a long line. Weiss is going to make sure there are people on their side to deal with that. And I… I said I'd work on this side," Ruby admitted. "Doing the same."

She was going to dedicate her entire existence to that? The only ties Ruby had to earth was Yang, and she was dead, and yet Ruby would lock herself into an eternal vigil just to safeguard the world that Yang was born into? He wanted to say he couldn't believe it, but he could. He could believe it all too much from her. Maybe she thought it a way to stay connected to Yang or to repay the real Ruby Rose. Maybe she just wanted a way to forever remember her. Whatever the case, she would do it.

What about him? There was nothing left for him in the other world, but things worth protecting. People worth protecting. His ocean wasn't looking quite so dead or desolate anymore. In time, who could say what might grow. Who could say what might happen? The Grimm appeared mindless, but he knew that not to be the case from interacting with Blake and Adam. Maybe there was a life to be made here. Was this what the first pioneers felt when they arrived on the shores of America? Whatever the case, his decision was obvious.

"It won't just be you guarding the boundary," he said, moving slowly toward her. "It'll be both of us. Together."

He pushed his snout toward her.

Hesitantly, shyly, she touched him.

Cold seeped through his scales and they flaked under her touch, and yet the pain was minor, and he pushed through it, leaning in harder to feel the faintest touch of a hand. Soft, gentle and surprisingly warm. He heard Ruby choke back something. Her form wavered a moment and she moved closer, leaning into him. "Together?" she asked, as if she wasn't sure she was hearing right. "Not on my own?"

"Not alone," he promised. "If we're going to be holding an eternal vigil, I'd rather spend it with someone. I know I'll never replace Yang, but maybe I can be something else."

There would be time to see. Time with Nora and Weiss, Blake and Adam. Time after, even, when Weiss died and would come here to roost herself. It wouldn't be an existence quite as lonely as Ruby's had before, and that would make it tolerable. Give a hundred years and Nora would pass on to the other side and take their words to Yang, the other Ruby and her parents. Until then, it wasn't worth feeling down over.

If more Grimm wanted to follow in Cinder's footsteps, they would find them. If the boundary became weak again, they would bolster it. If the Grimm ever found a way to invade the other world, they would cross over themselves and work to seal the breach. And if in time, they became more than just partners? Well, anything could happen with an eternity to speak of. He wouldn't be alone in finding out what did, and neither would she. What might come? Well, they'd see when it happened.

They had plenty of time to find out.

* * *

 **The End.**

* * *

 **Not a super happy ending, but then, did this story ever expect it? Jaune gives his life in his world to defeat Cinder, and in so doing seals the boundary between worlds and saves it. That world lives on and Jaune dedicates his life, with Ruby, to holding it from the other side. I don't want to say this ended on a Lancaster pairing because it didn't. Ruby and Jaune aren't together. He's just saying that they might end up it, because they're going to be partners for an eternity and it'd probably be hard for them** _ **not**_ **to grow close and become mated in that time.**

 **As always, there are little things I had in the plan for this that didn't fully come to fruition, and I do think that halfway through I let the tension fade a little – turning it from the semi-horror of the first 10-20 chapters (not true horror, as it was never meant to be) but all in all, I don't mind this story at all. It didn't include Salem and that was a decision on my part to see how a story went where I could choose to use or not use parts of canon. Sometimes in fanfiction, I try too hard to use "every character" from the show and run into problems because of it. Here, I just chose to paint Cinder as the big bad and leave all the extra cast behind.**

 **I think it worked out for it. This wouldn't be a better story for NOW Salem being revealed as a further big bad behind Cinder and requiring another 10-15 chapters to hunt her down and defeat her.**

 **Anyway, this is certainly one of my more open-ended conclusions and I kind of wanted it that way.**

 **How is Nora? How is Ren? What do Adam and Blake do in the world? Does Pyrrha find love? They're all questions but ultimately unimportant to the ending. Nora and Jaune can still interact at night and what people choose to do with their lives after the story ends is either left open or explained in detail in an epilogue, and I'm not a fan of that approach most times. They have a future ahead of them and good job, they survived Cinder and the Grimm and get to go experience that future together.**

* * *

 **Next Story:**

* * *

 **So, the way it's going to work is following my rotation rule. Arcanum, which already exists on Tuesday slot, will be moving to every Sunday. A new story will be released on the biweekly Tuesday slot alongside Service with a Smile, and that new story will be Yellow Fang (which will have a different title when it comes out.**

 **I know some people wanted Null, but don't worry, that'll come out after Forged Destiny ends, and Forged Destiny doesn't have too long left to finish.**

 **As always, I'll be taking a week of no update to better plan the new story. That'll work weirdly here because of the rotation. How it will work is that there will be no "Arcanum" next Sunday (but will be one this coming Tuesday), but that Yellow Fang will come out on the Arcanum slot after that one – i.e. in 2 weeks from now. Date included at bottom.**

* * *

 **Next Story: Yellow Fang – Tuesday 29** **th** **October**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


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